Figure 1

The effect of chemical treatment on thermal stability of commercial PHB (Tianan) and PHB isolated from biomass represented here by polymer chain scission ( 1/P _n,t – 1/P _n,0 ) as a function of time at 170°C. Water content in the samples was in between 0.01 and 0.02 wt%. The numbers in brackets represent PHB purity. PHB purified by 0.2 M NaOH (empty circle, 85% pure); PHB purified by 0.2 M NaOH and 0.2% SDS (cross, 95% pure); Unpurified PHB within biomass (solid square, 67% pure); PHB purified by solvent (empty triangle, 99% pure); Commercial PHB (solid diamond, 99% pure).