Biodegradation of additive PHBV/PP-co-PE films buried in soil

Abstract

SbstractThere is considerable concern about the impact plastic materials have on the environment due to their durability and resistance to degradation. The use of pro-oxidant additives in the polymer films could be a viable way to decrease the harmful effects of these discarded materials. In this study, films of PHBV/PP-co-PE (80/20 w/w) and PHBV/PP-co-PE/add (80/19/1 w/w/w) (with pro-oxidant additive) were employed to verify the influence of the additive on the biodegradation of these films in the soil. These films were obtained by melting the pellets in a press at 180 °C which were buried in soil columns for 3 and 6 months. Some samples were also heated before being buried in soil. The biodegradation is higher for the additive blend buried for 3 months than for the pre-heated blend. After 6 months the blend buried and heated/buried was completely degraded in soil. The effect of the additive, on chain oxidation, is more time-dependant than heat-dependant.

Performances of PCL/PVC/Organoclay Nanobioblends Films for Packaging Applications

“…[2,3] Such blends are gaining popularity as an approach for degradable packaging plastics, since the partial loss of form and bulk during disintegration may be sufficient to decrease the volume in landfill. [4] Based on this approach, several researchers [2,3,5,6] focused on the biodegradability study of these bioblends, among them S.M. Martins Franchetti and her collaborators [7] who studied the biodegradation of polypropylene/poly-(hydroxybutyrate-co-hydroxyvalerate) (PP/PHBV) blend (70/ 30, w/w) films in soil.…”

Biodegradation of Hemicellulose-Cellulose-Starch-Based Bioplastics and Microbial Polyesters

“…The microbial population available is a key factor for biodegradation in an environment (soil, air, and water), and several properties (e.g., the chemical constitution of materials) affects the efficiency of the biodegradation process. Chemical composition influences the biodegradation of plastics through different patterns of crystallinity, hydrophilic and hydrophobic character, conformational flexibility, polymer accessibility, surface area, molecular weight, melting temperature, hydrolyzable and oxidizable bonds in polymer chains, morphology, and stereoconfiguration [27,48,49].…”