Biodegradability and builder performance in detergents of poly(sodium carboxylate) containing glycopyranose residues in the backbone

Abstract Poly(sodium carboxylate)s containing glycopyranose residues as biodegradable segments in the backbone were prepared by the partial conversion of vicinal diols of the glycopyranose units of starch and xylan into the corresponding dicarboxylates via dialdehydes using periodic acid/sodium chlorite. These polymers containing glycopyranose residues in the backbone showed an improved biodegradability, suggesting these functional groups to be useful as biodegrading units in the polymer. The biodegradability and builder performance in detergents of these polymers varied inversely with the degree of dicarboxylation. The requirement of both good builder effects and rapid biodegradation requires a compromise. The most preferable degree of dicarboxylation, both for better dicarboxylation and detergency was about 30–40%. The xylan derivatives showed better biodegradability and builder effects in detergents when compared with the same degree of dicarboxylation on an equal weight basis.