Abstract :
Human has been known to use different types of polymers in their daily routine for ages, among which plastics that
are derived from fossil fuels or petroleum occupies a greater part. The domestic, as well as commercial use of plastics,
has been known so far globally. Plastics are used for packaging, making utensils, household items, portable machines,
spare parts, medical stents, spectacles, sportswear, cellphones, golf balls and many other items. Despite knowing the
negative and fatalistic effects of plastics, we humans have become dependent on plastics for our daily routine welfare.
The major reasons for this are durability, inertness, lightweight, thermal and electrical insulation, resilience to
corrosion and readily moulding into multifarious shapes. But the non-biodegradability of this polymer has led to many
environmental issues that have detrimental effects. So there is a need to switch from non-biodegradable plastics to
biodegradable ones to reduce these harmful effects without the replacement of other properties of petroleum-based
plastics that makes it one of the most commercially used polymer. Biodegradable plastics have gained a lot of attention
over a shorter period. These include Polyhydroxybutyrates (PHBs) and Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) majorly.
These are biodegradable along with all the properties that petroleum-derived plastics have which makes them a finer
and eco-friendly option. The present review focuses majorly on PHBs and summarises their physical properties,
biosynthesis and different methods of industrial production, extraction, PHB-based biocomposites and/or
nanocomposites along with their applications and prospects.
Keyword :
Plastics, Biodegradable plastics, PHBs, PHAs, biocomposites, nanocomposites