Mechanism by Which Pristine Accelerates Biodegradation

When Pristine is incorporated into polymer materials during manufacturing, it functions as a biodegradation catalyst once the plastic is exposed to biologically active environments such as landfills or marine systems. Pristine modifies the polymer surface chemistry, facilitating microbial adhesion and the formation of a stable biofilm.

Biofilm development enables microorganisms to colonize the polymer surface and initiate physical and biochemical interactions with the polymer matrix. This interaction increases polymer chain mobility and surface accessibility, allowing microbial enzymes to penetrate and act upon susceptible regions of the molecular structure.

As microbial populations increase, quorum sensing mechanisms are activated, coordinating microbial behavior through chemical signaling. This signaling promotes the recruitment of additional microorganisms and upregulates enzymatic activity associated with polymer depolymerization. These enzymatic processes result in the cleavage of polymer chains into lower–molecular-weight fragments that can be assimilated and metabolized by microbes as a carbon and energy source.

Through continued microbial activity, the material undergoes progressive biodegradation driven by naturally occurring biological processes, reducing polymer persistence in the environment.