Degradation of Natural Rubber
CHAPTER ONE 1.0 INTRODUCTION
Natural rubber is produced by over 2000 plants species and its main constituent is poly (cis-I,4-isoprene).a highly unsaturated hydrocarbon. Since 1914 there have been efforts to investigate microbial rubber degradation: However, only recently have the first proteins involved in this process have been identified and characterized and have the corresponding genes cloned. Analysis of the degradation product of natural rubber and synthetic rubbers isolated from various bacterial cultures indicated without expectation that there was oxidative cleavage of the double bond in the polymer backbone. A similar degradation mechanism was postulated for the cleavage of squalene, which is a triterpene intermediate and precursor of steroids and triterpeniods, aldehydes and /or carbonyl groups were detected in most of the analyzed degradation products isolated from cultures of various rubber degrading strains.
Knowledge of the degradation at the protein and genes levels and detailed analysis of detectable degradation products should result in a detailed understanding of these obviously new enzymatic reactions. 1.1 PROBLEM STATEMENT
Some difficulties arise while investigating microbial degradation of natural rubber. a. Microbial degradation of natural rubber is a slow process. The growth of bacterial which utilizes the rubber (i.e. the carbon source) is slow also. Therefore time factor for incubation of strain is a problem because to obtain enough cell mass or degradation product of the polymers the strain period of incubation is extended over weeks. b. Additional problems aroused from the presence of other natural biodegrading compounds in natural rubber and latex, even from additives which are required for vulcanization. The latex coagulates spontaneously after collection so the strain was inoculated into its whilst in the liquid phase. Because working with it in its cuplum form is very tedious. However fillers and stoppers
Natural rubber is produced by over 2000 plants species and its main constituent is poly (cis-I,4-isoprene).a highly unsaturated hydrocarbon. Since 1914 there have been efforts to investigate microbial rubber degradation: However, only recently have the first proteins involved in this process have been identified and characterized and have the corresponding genes cloned. Analysis of the degradation product of natural rubber and synthetic rubbers isolated from various bacterial cultures indicated without expectation that there was oxidative cleavage of the double bond in the polymer backbone. A similar degradation mechanism was postulated for the cleavage of squalene, which is a triterpene intermediate and precursor of steroids and triterpeniods, aldehydes and /or carbonyl groups were detected in most of the analyzed degradation products isolated from cultures of various rubber degrading strains.
Knowledge of the degradation at the protein and genes levels and detailed analysis of detectable degradation products should result in a detailed understanding of these obviously new enzymatic reactions. 1.1 PROBLEM STATEMENT
Some difficulties arise while investigating microbial degradation of natural rubber. a. Microbial degradation of natural rubber is a slow process. The growth of bacterial which utilizes the rubber (i.e. the carbon source) is slow also. Therefore time factor for incubation of strain is a problem because to obtain enough cell mass or degradation product of the polymers the strain period of incubation is extended over weeks. b. Additional problems aroused from the presence of other natural biodegrading compounds in natural rubber and latex, even from additives which are required for vulcanization. The latex coagulates spontaneously after collection so the strain was inoculated into its whilst in the liquid phase. Because working with it in its cuplum form is very tedious. However fillers and stoppers