| Summary: | Polyurethane (PU) is a material that is widely used in industries. However, tropical climatic conditions in Vietnam often make the durability of PU lower than temperate climatic conditions. One of the causes of this problem is the biodegradation of microorganisms. In this study, biological characteristics of black yeast on PU is evaluated, thereby, initially assessing the impact of black yeast on the durability of PU in tropical conditions. Ten strains of black yeast were isolated from used PU foam samples in Vietnam. These black yeast strains were tested for enzyme activity including: urease activity, protease activity, polyurethanase activity. There were two strains selected to identify based on sequence analysis of the ITS1/ITS2 region, they belong to genus Aureobasidium. VN1Y3 was strain selected for biodegradability testing of PU foam samples. After 28 days of testing, the PU foam samples that have been infected with black yeasts have a change compared to the control in terms of color, surface, tensile strength, elongation. Research results have showed the impact of black yeast on the durability of PU.
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