Biopol is a copolymer made of the monomers PHV and PHB. PHB alone, with its short methyl side chain, is brittle and has very high crystallinity, meaning it cracks easily. Due to its high crystallinity and overall unsuitable properties for industrial use, PHV has been added to created PHBV, or Biopol. Biopol is semicrystalline, meaning it can still crystallize as well as melting at a lower temperature than PHB, making it industrially suitable. Due to its long side chains, Biopol is also flexible. As a result of adding PHV, the polymer gains a lower melting point, lower crystallinity, more elongation, as well as an overall higher tensile strength. Generally, Biopol is a stable polymer, being resistant to water, …show more content…
High-Grade Biopol is extremely suitable for medical applications which require contact with the body. Due to its biocompatibility, the body doesn’t react to the polymer, thus it is suitable as a material for band aids, needles, or surgical pins which are inserted into the human body during surgery. As well as biocompatibility, Biopol’s biodegradability allows it to decompose naturally, allowing the human body to decompose the polymer naturally and safely, without the use of surgery. Biopol is used in medical applications including woven patches, which protects skin tissues from scarring after surgery or injuries. After the wound is healed, the enzymes eventually dissolve away the patch as it is made of Biopol. The properties of Biopol including its biocompatibility and high tensile strength, therefore making it suitable for medical application, as it is a safe and suitable material which is used in medical products such as band aids. Biopol is also great for its other properties, such as its high tensile strength. Its strength allows the products it is made of to be tough and not easily broken. Its resistance to UV light also supports the toughness of Biopol. For these reasons, Biopol is used in disposable razors and carriers for releasing herbicides. These products require high tensile strength to be used, as well as a resistance to water. In disposable products such as razors, the properties of Biopol make it desirable as it is biodegradable and still strong. In carriers of insecticides, Biopol is desirable as it is resistant to water, non-toxic, and also biocompatible, thus the Biopol does not react with the insecticides, making the polymer a suitable material for