A themogravimetric analysis for poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) quantification

A simple and quick thermogravimetric analysis method has been suggested for poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) [PHB] quantification. During the analysis, a rapid thermal degradation of PHB occurred in the range of 250 to 320 degrees C. From the gravimetric change during the thermal degradation, we could quantify PHB contents of various samples. Due to the simultaneous thermal degradation of cellular materials, the PHB contents were estimated slightly higher than those by gas chromatographic analysis. We have proposed a way to compensate for such errors using a linear correlation to allow accurate determination of PHB contents.