Editing Polyhydroxybutyrate (section)

==Thermoplastic polymer==
Most commercial plastics are synthetic polymers derived from [[petrochemical]]s. They tend to resist [[biodegradation]]. PHB-derived plastics are attractive because they are [[compost]]able and derived from renewables and are bio-degradable.

[[Imperial Chemical Industries|ICI]] had developed the material to [[pilot plant]] stage in the 1980s, but interest faded when it became clear that the cost of material was too high, and its properties could not match those of [[polypropylene]]. Some bottles were made for Wella's "Sanara" range of shampoo; an example using the tradename "Biopol" is in the collection of the [[Science Museum, London|Science Museum]], London.

In 1996, Monsanto (who sold PHB as a copolymer with PHV) bought all patents for making the polymer from ICI/Zeneca including the trademark "Biopol".<ref>{{Cite web |date=2013-03-28 |title=Trade Mark Details |url=https://www.ipo.gov.uk/trademark/history/GB50000000001202507.pdf |access-date=2024-12-30}}</ref> However, Monsanto's rights to Biopol were sold to the American company [[Metabolix]] in 2001 and Monsanto's fermenters producing PHB from bacteria were closed down at the start of 2004. Monsanto began to focus on producing PHB from plants instead of bacteria.<ref name=Poirier>{{cite journal |doi=10.1016/0141-8130(95)93511-U |pmid=7772565 |title=Synthesis of high-molecular-weight poly([r]-(-)-3-hydroxybutyrate) in transgenic Arabidopsis thaliana plant cells |journal=International Journal of Biological Macromolecules |volume=17 |issue=1 |pages=7–12 |year=1995 |last1=Poirier |first1=Yves |last2=Somerville |first2=Chris |last3=Schechtman |first3=Lee A. |last4=Satkowski |first4=Michael M. |last5=Noda |first5=Isao }}</ref> But now with so much media attention on GM crops, there has been little news of Monsanto's plans for PHB.<ref name="CouldEat">{{cite web |title=Plastics You Could Eat |url=http://www.firstscience.com/site/articles/sykes.asp |access-date=November 17, 2005 }}</ref>

Biopol is currently used in the medical industry for [[Surgical suture|internal suture]]. It is nontoxic and biodegradable, so it does not have to be removed after recovery.<ref>{{cite book |doi=10.1016/B978-0-12-396983-5.00001-6 |chapter=Polymer Synthesis and Processing |title=Natural and Synthetic Biomedical Polymers |pages=1–31 |year=2014 |last1=Kariduraganavar |first1=Mahadevappa Y. |last2=Kittur |first2=Arjumand A. |last3=Kamble |first3=Ravindra R. |isbn=9780123969835 }}</ref>

TephaFLEX is a bacterially derived poly-4-hydroxybutyrate, manufactured using a recombinant fermentation process by Tepha Medical Devices, intended for a variety of medical applications that require biodegradable materials such as [[Surgical_suture#Absorbability|absorbable sutures]].<ref>[https://www.tepha.com/technology/overview/ Tepha Medical Devices Technology Overview]</ref>