A research team from the Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences (TIB, CAS) has achieved a major breakthrough in the biodegradation of polyurethane (PU) plastics.
Core Technology
The team resolved the crystal structure of a wild-type PU depolymerase, uncovering the molecular mechanism behind its efficient degradation. Building on this, they developed a high-performance “artificial enzyme” double mutant using evolution-guided enzyme mining technology. Its degradation efficiency for polyester-type polyurethane is nearly 11 times higher than that of the wild-type enzyme.
Advantages and Value
Compared with traditional high-temperature and high-pressure physical methods and high-salt and concentrated-acid chemical methods, the biodegradation approach boasts low energy consumption and low pollution. It also enables the recyclable use of degrading enzymes multiple times, providing a more efficient tool for the large-scale biological recycling of PU plastics.
Post time: Nov-24-2025