This book contains a collection of different biodegradation research activities where biological processes take place. The book has two main sections: A) Polymers and Surfactants Biodegradation and B) Biodegradation: Microbial Behaviour.

The explores the cutting-edge technology of polymer coatings. It discusses fundamentals, fabrication strategies, characterization techniques, and allied applications in fields such as corrosion, food, pharmaceutical, biomedical systems and electronics. It also discusses a few new innovative self-healing, antimicrobial and superhydrophobic polymer coatings. Current industrial applications and possible potential activities are also discussed.

A comprehensive overview of different antimicrobial polymeric materials, their antimicrobial action modes and applications.

Biocidal polymers are designed to inhibit or kill microorganisms such as bacteria, fungi and protozoans. This book summarizes recent findings in the synthesis, modification and characterization of various antimicrobial polymers ranging from plastics and elastomers to biomimetic and biodegradable polymers. Modifications with different antimicrobial agents as well as antimicrobial testing methods are described in a comprehensive manner.

A guide to modifying and functionalizing the surfaces of polymers Surface Modification of Polymers is an essential guide to the myriad methods that can be employed to modify and functionalize the surfaces of polymers. The functionalization of polymer surfaces is often required for applications in sensors, membranes, medicinal devices, and others. The contributors?noted experts on the topic?describe the polymer surface in detail and discuss the internal and external factors that influence surface properties. This comprehensive guide to the most important methods for the introduction of new functionalities is an authoritative resource for everyone working in the field. This book explores many applications, including the plasma polymerization technique, organic surface functionalization by initiated chemical vapor deposition, photoinduced functionalization on polymer surfaces, functionalization of polymers by hydrolysis, aminolysis, reduction, oxidation, surface modification of nanoparticles, and many more. Inside, readers will find information on various applications in the biomedical field, food science, and membrane science. This important book: -Offers a range of polymer functionalization methods for biomedical applications, water filtration membranes, and food science -Contains discussions of the key surface modification methods, including plasma and chemical techniques, as well as applications for nanotechnology, environmental filtration, food science, and biomedicine -Includes contributions from a team of international renowned experts Written for polymer chemists, materials scientists, plasma physicists, analytical chemists, surface physicists, and surface chemists, Surface Modification of Polymers offers a comprehensive and application-oriented review of the important functionalization methods with a special focus on biomedical applications, membrane science, and food science.

Hot-melt extrusion (HME) - melting a substance and forcing it through an orifice under controlled conditions to form a new material - is an emerging processing technology in the pharmaceutical industry for the preparation of various dosage forms and drug delivery systems, for example granules and sustained release tablets. Hot-Melt Extrusion: Pharmaceutical Applications covers the main instrumentation, operation principles and theoretical background of HME. It then focuses on HME drug delivery systems, dosage forms and clinical studies (including pharmacokinetics and bioavailability) of HME products. Finally, the book includes some recent and novel HME applications, scale -up considerations and regulatory issues. Topics covered include: principles and die design of single screw extrusion twin screw extrusion techniques and practices in the laboratory and on production scale HME developments for the pharmaceutical industry solubility parameters for prediction of drug/polymer miscibility in HME formulations the influence of plasticizers in HME applications of polymethacrylate polymers in HME HME of ethylcellulose, hypromellose, and polyethylene oxide bioadhesion properties of polymeric films produced by HME taste masking using HME clinical studies, bioavailability and pharmacokinetics of HME products injection moulding and HME processing for pharmaceutical materials laminar dispersive & distributive mixing with dissolution and applications to HME technological considerations related to scale-up of HME processes devices and implant systems by HME an FDA perspective on HME product and process understanding improved process understanding and control of an HME process with near-infrared spectroscopy Hot-Melt Extrusion: Pharmaceutical Applications is an essential multidisciplinary guide to the emerging pharmaceutical uses of this processing technology for researchers in academia and industry working in drug formulation and delivery, pharmaceutical engineering and processing, and polymers and materials science. This is the first book from our brand new series Advances in Pharmaceutical Technology. Find out more about the series here.

This authoritative reference work presents comprehensive information about one of the most important and most wide-spread classes of (bio)organic compounds: the polysaccharides. The comprehensive and thoroughly up-to-date handbook presents the sources, identification, analysis, biosynthesis, biotechnology and applications of important polysaccharides likes starches, cellulose, chitin, gum and microbial polysaccharides. Polysaccharides can exhibit complex structure and various functional activities. These bio macromolecules can therefore serve as raw materials for various different materials, e.g. rayon, cellulose acetate, celluloid and nitrocellulose; and they find multiple applications, for instance as surgical threads (chitin), as sources of energy, dietary fibers, as blood flow adjuvants, in cosmetics, emulsion stabilizers, film formers, binders, viscosity increasing agents or skin conditioning agenta, as food additives in gums, chewing gum bases and as vaccines. Polysaccharides form the basis for useful products, like xanthan gum, dextran, welan gum, gellan gum, diutan gum and pullulan. Some of the polysaccharide-derived products have interesting and useful properties and show biological activities, such as immunomodulatory, antibacterial, anti-mutagenic, radioprotective, anti-oxidative, anti-ulcer, antidepressant, anti-septicaemic or anti-inflammatory activities. All these applications and properties of polysaccharides are for the first time compiled in a thorough and comprehensive overview in the present work. This reference work is organized thematically in four parts: Part I. Polysaccharides: Occurrence, Structure, Distribution and Biotechnology. Part II. Methods. Part III. Bioactive Polysaccharides. Part IV. Polysaccharides as Food. This reference work is edited by experienced experts, all chapters are written by well recognized international specialists. It is useful to all those working in the field of botany, phytochemistry, pharmacy, drug delivery, molecular biology, metabolomics, forestry, environment, conservation, biotechnology and NGOs working for forest protection.