Natural Degradation Polymer Degradation under Different Conditions Edited by Alexandre Vetcher and Alexey Iordanskii Printed Edition of the Special Issue Published in Polymers www.mdpi.com/journal/polymers Natural Degradation: Polymer Degradation under Different Conditions Natural Degradation: Polymer Degradation under Different Conditions Editors AlexandreVetcher AlexeyIordanskii MDPI•Basel•Beijing•Wuhan•Barcelona•Belgrade•Manchester•Tokyo•Cluj•Tianjin Editors AlexandreVetcher AlexeyIordanskii Peoples’Friendship RussianAcademyofSciences UniversityofRussia Russia Complementaryand IntegrativeHealthClinicof Dr.Shishonin Russia EditorialOffice MDPI St.Alban-Anlage66 4052Basel,Switzerland ThisisareprintofarticlesfromtheSpecialIssuepublishedonlineintheopenaccessjournalPolymers (ISSN2073-4360) (availableat:https://www.mdpi.com/journal/polymers/specialissues/Natural DegradationPolymerDegradationunderDifferentConditions). Forcitationpurposes,citeeacharticleindependentlyasindicatedonthearticlepageonlineandas indicatedbelow: LastName,A.A.;LastName,B.B.;LastName,C.C.ArticleTitle. JournalNameYear,VolumeNumber, PageRange. ISBN978-3-0365-5133-3(Hbk) ISBN978-3-0365-5134-0(PDF) ©2022bytheauthors. ArticlesinthisbookareOpenAccessanddistributedundertheCreative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license, which allows users to download, copy and build upon publishedarticles,aslongastheauthorandpublisherareproperlycredited,whichensuresmaximum disseminationandawiderimpactofourpublications. ThebookasawholeisdistributedbyMDPIunderthetermsandconditionsoftheCreativeCommons licenseCCBY-NC-ND. Contents AbouttheEditors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . vii Prefaceto”NaturalDegradation:PolymerDegradationunderDifferentConditions” . . . . . ix AlexandreA.VetcherandAlexeyL.Iordanskii NaturalDegradation:PolymerDegradationunderDifferentConditions Reprintedfrom:polymers2022,14,3595,doi:10.3390/polym14173595 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 KirillV.Zhukov,AlexandreA.Vetcher,BagratA.GasparuanandAlexanderY.Shishonin AlterationofRelativeRatesofBiodegradationandRegenerationofCervicalSpineCartilage throughtheRestorationofArterialBloodFlowAccesstoRhomboidFossa:AHypothesis Reprintedfrom:Polymers2021,13,4248,doi:10.3390/polym13234248 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 ArpapornTeamsinsungvon,ChaiwatRuksakulpiwatandYupapornRuksakulpiwat EffectsofTitanium–SilicaOxideonDegradationBehaviorandAntimicrobialActivityofPoly (LacticAcid)Composites Reprintedfrom:Polymers2022,14,3310,doi:10.3390/polym14163310 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 JohannaLangwieser,AndreaSchweighuber,AlexanderFelgel-Farnholz,ChristianMarschik, WolfgangBuchbergerandJoergFischer DeterminationoftheInfluenceofMultipleClosedRecyclingLoopsonthePropertyProfileof DifferentPolyolefins Reprintedfrom:Polymers2022,14,2429,doi:10.3390/polym14122429 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 Svetlana G. Karpova, Natalia A. Chumakova, Anton V. Lobanov, Anatoly A. Olkhov, AlexandreA.VetcherandAlexeyL.Iordanskii Evaluation and Characterization of Ultrathin Poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) Fibers Loaded with Tetraphenylporphyrin and Its Complexes with Fe(III) andSn(IV) Reprintedfrom:Polymers2022,14,610,doi:10.3390/polym14030610 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57 Olivia A. Attallah, Muhammad Azeem, Efstratios Nikolaivits, Evangelos Topakas and MargaretBrennanFournet Progressing Ultragreen, Energy-Efficient Biobased Depolymerization of Poly(ethylene terephthalate)viaMicrowave-AssistedGreenDeepEutecticSolventandEnzymaticTreatment Reprintedfrom:Polymers2022,14,109,doi:10.3390/polym14010109 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73 AnatolyA.Olkhov, ElenaE.Mastalygina, VasilyA.Ovchinnikov, TatianaV.Monakhova, AlexandreA.VetcherandAlexeyL.Iordanskii Thermo-Oxidative Destruction and Biodegradation of Nanomaterials from Composites of Poly(3-hydroxybutyrate)andChitosan Reprintedfrom:Polymers2021,13,3528,doi:10.3390/polym13203528 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89 Ji-BongChoi,Yu-KyoungKim,Seon-MiByeon,Jung-EunPark,Tae-SungBae,Yong-Seok JangandMin-HoLee Characteristics of Biodegradable Gelatin Methacrylate Hydrogel Designed to Improve OsteoinductionandEffectofAdditionalBindingofTannicAcidonHydrogel Reprintedfrom:Polymers2021,13,2535,doi:10.3390/polym13152535 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105 PingHe,HaodaRuan,CongyangWangandHaoLu Mechanical Properties and Thermal Conductivity of Thermal Insulation Board Containing RecycledThermosettingPolyurethaneandThermoplastic Reprintedfrom:Polymers2021,13,4411,doi:10.3390/polym13244411 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119 v GloriaAmo-Duodu, EmmanuelKweinorTetteh, SudeshRathilal, EdwardKwakuArmah, JeremiahAdedeji,MarthaNoroChollomandMaggieChetty EffectofEngineeredBiomaterialsandMagnetiteonWastewaterTreatment:BiogasandKinetic Evaluation Reprintedfrom:Polymers2021,13,4323,doi:10.3390/polym13244323 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137 MohammedAl-YaariandIbrahimDubdub Pyrolytic Behavior of Polyvinyl Chloride: Kinetics, Mechanisms, Thermodynamics, and ArtificialNeuralNetworkApplication Reprintedfrom:Polymers2021,13,4359,doi:10.3390/polym13244359 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 151 Camille Gillet, Ferhat Tamssaouet, Bouchra Hassoune-Rhabbour, Tatiana Tchalla, Vale´rie Nassiet Parameters Influencing Moisture Diffusion in Epoxy-Based Materials during Hygrothermal Ageing—AReviewbyStatisticalAnalysis Reprintedfrom:Polymers2022,14,2832,doi:10.3390/polym14142832 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 169 Andrey A. Vodyashkin, Parfait Kezimana, Alexandre A. Vetcher and Yaroslav M. Stanishevskiy BiopolymericNanoparticles–MultifunctionalMaterialsoftheFuture Reprintedfrom:Polymers2022,14,2287,doi:10.3390/polym14112287 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201 vi About the Editors AlexandreVetcher DeputyDirector(Science)atscientificandeducationalcenter”Nanotechnology”attheInstitute of Biochemical Technology and Nanotechnology of the Peoples’ Friendship University of Russia (RUDN), and Associate Director (Science) at the Complementary and Integrative Health Clinic of Dr.Shishonin. Education: 1988—Ph.D.inBiophysics,InstituteofChemicalPhysics,AcademyofSciences,USSR 1983—M.S. in Molecular, Physical and Chemical Biology, M.V. Lomonosov Moscow State Universitybranch,Pustchino-na-Oke 1981—B.S.andM.S.inChemistry,V.I.LeninBelorussianStateUniversity ScientificInterests: Polymers natural decay and its management and monitoring; nucleic acids properties, their characterization(PAGE,AG,PCR,AFM,TEM,etc.),andconstructionofnanoobjectsontheirbasis; thermodynamicsofirreversibleprocessesinbiodegradationinvivo. Awardsandachievements: 2010—Themanuscript“Gelmobilitiesoflinking-numbertopoisomersandtheirdependenceon DNAhelicalrepeatandelasticity”(2010),BiophysicalChemistry,hasbeenselectedandevaluatedby Dr.Maxwell,aMemberoftheFacultyof1000(F1000),whichplacesitinF1000libraryinthetop2% ofpublishedarticlesinbiologyandmedicine. 2010—UTDserviceaward 2007—TheGMUApprenticeshipscholarshipawardwasdevotedtoastudentfrommyresearch group,MSGearheart,R. 1991—Soviet Union Business Convention Award for the development and production of gel electrophoresisequipment 1990—ByelorussianNationalAcademyofSciencesAwardinMolecularBiology 1990—ByelorussianYCLScientificAwardinBiologicalSciences 1982—USSRMinistryofHigherEducationYearJuniorScientistAwardinChemistry AlexeyIordanskii PrincipalInvestigatoratN.N.SemenovFederalResearchCenterforChemicalPhysics,Russian AcademyofSciences,Moscow. 1998—PTProfessor,M.V.LomonosovMoscowAcademyofFineChemicalTechnology Education: 1975—Ph.D., N.N. Semenov Institute of Chemical Physics, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow 1968—M.S.,M.V.LomonosovMoscowStateUniversity ScientificInterests: Biopolymerscharacterization;transportphenomenainpolymers;nanofibers;controlledrelease evaluation;biodegradationandhydrolysisinpolymersandcomposites. Awardsandachievements: 1997—TheRussianFederationmedalinhonorofthe850thanniversaryofMoscow’sfounding (forcontributiontosciencedevelopmentinMoscow). vii 1990—DSc (Polymer Chemistry), N.N. Semenov Institute of Chemical Physics, Russian AcademyofSciences. 1988—GoldmedalforbiomedicalresearchattheSovietUnionBusinessConventionAwardfor thecreationofbiomedicalmaterialsforanartificialheart. Professionalmembership(s) 1975—D.I.MendeleevSocietyMembership viii Preface to ”Natural Degradation: Polymer Degradation under Different Conditions” Nowadays, different issues of natural degradation attract the attention of the research community.Thisgrowinginterestismostlyassociatedto: • theconsiderationofatleastinvivobiodegradationasaninteractionofbothsynthesisanddecay; • thedevelopmentofnovelwaystomanagenaturaldegradationthroughthecreationofspecial composites; • the nano-level structural control of composites which allow either increased or decreased decayspeed,takingintoaccountthatdifferentapplicationsoftenrequireachievementsinboth directions; • the application of centralized aerobic–anaerobic energy balance compensation (CAAEBC) theorytomedicalissuesofbiodegradationofthehumanbody. AllthesepointsarereflectedatcertainextentinthecurrentSpecialIssue. AlexandreVetcherandAlexeyIordanskii Editors ix polymers Editorial Natural Degradation: Polymer Degradation under Different Conditions AlexandreA.Vetcher1,2,*andAlexeyL.Iordanskii3 1 InstituteofBiochemicalTechnologyandNanotechnology(IBTN)ofthePeoples’FriendshipUniversityof Russia(RUDN),6Miklukho-MaklayaSt.,117198Moscow,Russia 2 ComplementaryandIntegrativeHealthClinicofDr.Shishonin,5YasnogorskayaSt.,117588Moscow,Russia 3 N.N.SemenovFederalResearchCenterforChemicalPhysics,RussianAcademyofSciences,4KosyginSt.4, 119334Moscow,Russia * Correspondence:[email protected] Naturaldegradation(ND)iscurrentlyoneofthemaindirectionsofpolymerresearch. Thisdirectionisimportantforthetechnologicalapplicationsofbothnaturalandsynthetic polymersandtheircomposites.Insomecases,weareinterestedinincreasingtheirstability, e.g.,ifwearetalkingaboutthedecayofintervertebralcartilage,teeth,orthepolymer coatingsofvehiclesandbuildings.Inothers,weareinterestedinacceleratingtheirdecay. Themostprominentobjectsofsuchapplicationsarepolymercarriersfortargeteddrug delivery,usedpackagingmaterials,ornon-recoverablecartires.Thereisathirddirection ofmanageddegradation,also. Itcouldbeemployedincontrolledreleaseapplications. Inallthesecases,evenNDcouldoccurinsidecellsorinsidealivingorganismorinthe environmentundertheinfluenceofthedegradation-causingfactorsinherentinit(e.g., ozone,oxygen,andultraviolet,etc.).Itisalsoobviousthatpolymersandcompositesare involvedindissipativesynthesisdecaytypestructuresthatareatleastinsidealiving organism. ThecontributionstothisSpecialIssue,althoughnotcoveringthefullrange oftheNDfield,giveagoodoverviewofsomeimportanttopicsthatarerequiredfora Citation:Vetcher,A.A.;Iordanskii, sustainablefuture. A.L.NaturalDegradation:Polymer Thepossibilitytoapplythetheoryofcentralizedaerobic-anaerobicenergybalance DegradationunderDifferent compensationtothebalanceofthecervicalspinecartilage’spolymericpartinthesystem Conditions.Polymers2022,14,3595. ofbiodegradationandregenerationisthefocusof[1]. Thiscontributionemploysthe https://doi.org/10.3390/ thermodynamicsofirreversibleprocessestotheabove-mentionedsystem. polym14173595 Anotherimportanttopicistheinfluenceofcompositecomponentsandtheirstructure Received:26August2022 onNDdynamics.InthisSpecialIssue,wehavereportsdevotedtotheinfluenceofTixSiy oxides on ND of PLA [2], the peculiarities of polyolefins’ ND [3], the effect of small Accepted:26August2022 additions(1–5wt.%)oftetraphenylporphyrinanditscomplexeswithFe(III)andSn(IV) Published:31August2022 onthestructure,andsubsequently,theND-associatedpropertiesofultrathinfibersthatare Publisher’sNote:MDPIstaysneutral basedonpoly(3-hydroxybutyrate)[4],thecombinedultragreenchemicalandbiocatalytic withregardtojurisdictionalclaimsin depolymerizationofpolyethyleneterephthalate(PET)usingadeepeutecticsolvent-based publishedmapsandinstitutionalaffil- low-energymicrowavetreatmentfollowedbyanenzymatichydrolysistofacilitatePET iations. biodepolymerisation[5],thebiodegradationandthermo-destructionoffilmsfromblends ofpoly(3-hydroxybutyrate)andchitosanbypouringthemfromasolution,andnonwoven fibrousmaterialsthatareobtainedbyelectrospinning[6], andintherat-transplanted biodegradationofasingleanddoublecross-linkedGelMAhydrogel[7]. Copyright: © 2022 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. Someresearchstudiesaredevoteddirectlytowasteutilization/recycling,e.g.,theap- Thisarticleisanopenaccessarticle plicationofamechanochemicalmethodtoanalyzetherecyclingmechanismofpolyurethane distributed under the terms and foamandoptimizetherecyclingprocess,andtheregenerationthepolyurethanefoampow- conditionsoftheCreativeCommons derbreakstheC–Obondofthepolyurethanefoam(inordertogreatlyenhancetheactivity Attribution(CCBY)license(https:// ofthepowder)[8],andalsotothewastewaterandutilizingitsenergypotentialviathe creativecommons.org/licenses/by/ anaerobicdigestionofmunicipalitywastewater[9]. 4.0/). Polymers2022,14,3595.https://doi.org/10.3390/polym14173595 1 https://www.mdpi.com/journal/polymers