Effects of Hybrid Polymeric Material Based on Polycaprolactone on the Environment.

Polymers are of great interest in areas such as agriculture, medicine and pharmacy, the food and cosmetic industries, and the chemical and construction industries. However, many polymers are nonbiodegradable and are not environmentally friendly. They are highly resistant to degradation and therefore can lead to waste disposal problems. In recent years, the interest in the microbial degradation of polymeric materials has grown due to the desire for less waste pollution in the environment. In this study, the biodegradable polymer that was obtained by the ring-opening polymerization of ε-caprolactone (CL) using an aminopropyl-polydimethylsiloxane (APDMS) oligomer and the effects of the polymer towards the growth and development of tomato plants () were investigated. The obtained product was characterized using FTIR spectroscopy, NMR spectroscopy, and energy dispersion spectroscopy (EDX) analysis, and the effects of this compound on the evolution of tomato plants () were studied. We also studied the biological stability of the product by identifying some of the microorganisms that developed on the surface, given its susceptibility to biodegradation.