Abstract
Abstract The objectives of this work were to determine the biodegradability of starch/glycerol foam and of poly(butylene-adipate-co-terephthalate) (PBAT)/starch film using respirometric methods and also to compare these results with conventional polymers – expanded polystyrene and low-density polyethylene. A matured organic compost was utilized as inoculum and sucrose was used as positive reference material. Biodegradation efficiencies (BE) after 47 days were: 35% for sucrose; 34% for starch/glycerol; and 38% for PBAT/starch. Starch/glycerol and PBAT/starch presented BE statistically equal to sucrose, whilst both the conventional packaging used were not degraded (p> 0.05). Infrared spectroscopy and thermogravimetric analyses showed that the microbiota rather degraded the starch over the PBAT in the PBAT/starch blend, and also that some starch remained intact in the internal polymeric matrix. This study verified that starch/glycerol foam and PBAT/starch film are highly biodegradable materials and may then be used to enhance the biodegradability of some products such as disposable trays and supermarket bags.
Highlights
The demand for plastic polymers is getting higher and higher nowadays since these materials are present in the composition of a wide range of manufactured products
The results showed no significant biodegradation for pure poly(lactic acid) (PLA) and low-density polyethylene (LDPE) polymers, but the blends increased the degradation for the TPS portion compared to pure TPS (Li et al, 2011)
expanded polystyrene (EPS) and LDPE presented moisture contents very close or equal to zero, while biodegradable polymers have moisture values around 12%, which is possibly due to the hydrophilic character of starch and glycerol employed in formulations of these materials
Summary
The demand for plastic polymers is getting higher and higher nowadays since these materials are present in the composition of a wide range of manufactured products. These products consist of non-biodegradable waste that is often disposed of in sanitary landfills where they can cause soil and groundwater contamination Most of these polymers come from non-renewable resources, especially oil, whose extracting and refining processes cause severe environmental impacts (Razza et al, 2015; Harun‐Or‐Rashid et al, 2015; Brito et al, 2011). Biodegradable materials with similar properties to conventional polymers are being developed in an attempt to partially replace the latter and minimize the impacts on the environment. Some of these novel polymers are biodegradable and compostable, which makes it possible to discard them along with organic waste in order to be recycled by composting instead of being disposed of in landfills. There is research and development of some biodegradable packaging using raw materials from renewable resources (biopolymers) such as starch, cellulose, chitosan, gelatin, poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA), poly(lactic acid) (PLA), poly(butylene succinate) (PBS), etc., which makes them even more environmentally friendly due to their shorter life cycles compared to those from non-renewable resources (Frackowiak et al, 2016; Ahmed & Ikram, 2016; Razza et al, 2015; Harun‐Or‐Rashid et al, 2015; Brito et al, 2011; Associação Brasileira de Normas Técnicas, 2008)
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