| abstract |
PURPOSE: To obtain a copolymer having low melting point and excellent moldability and suitable for medical material, sanitary goods, hygienic goods, packaging material, mulching film, etc., by copolymerizing a hydroxybutyrate, hydroxyvalerate, etc. n CONSTITUTION: The objective copolymer containing 20-90 mol% of 3- hydroxybutyrate unit and having a weight-average molecular weight of 10,0000-2,500,000 can be produced by (1) culturing a microbial strain (e.g. Alcaligenes faecalis) capable of producing polyhydroxylalkanoate such as polyhydroxybutyrate in a medium admixed with acetic acid, glucose, tc., e.g. at 20-40°C and pH 6-10, (2) separating the microbial cells from the medium (3) adding preferably 5-200 g of the product per 1 liter of the culture liquid of γ-valerolactone while restricting nitrogen and/or phosphorus and/or oxygen, etc., and (4) polymerizing the monomer. n COPYRIGHT: (C)1992,JPO&Japio |