NOVEL BIODEGRADABLE COPOLYAMIDES BASED ON ADIPIC ACID, BIS (P-AMINOCYCLOHEXYL) METHANE AND SEVERAL ALPHA-AMINO-ACIDS - SYNTHESIS, CHARACTERIZATION AND STUDY OF THEIR DEGRADABILITY FOR FOOD-PACKAGING APPLICATIONS .4.

Novel biodegradable copolyamides were synthesized using the bulk polycondensation method. The statistical copolyamides produced by the simultaneous reaction of the salt of adipic acid and bis(p-aminocyclohexyl)methane and several alpha-amino acids were characterized by elemental analyses, density and viscosity measurements and Fourier transform infra-red spectroscopy. The semicrystalline or amorphous nature of these novel copolyamides was confirmed both by differential thermal analysis measurements and wide-angle X-ray diffraction patterns. Their biodegradability was investigated by testing their resistance to alkali hydrolysis (10% w/v NaOH), to microbial/bacterial attack when buried in soil and to enzymatic hydrolysis. The biodegradation of copolyamides was followed using gel permeation chromatography and differential thermal analysis. Possible applications of these polymers could be envisaged in the fields of agriculture, packaging and medicine.