TY - JOUR
T1 - Biodegradation of a starch containing thermoplastic in standardized test systems
AU - Scandola, M.
AU - Finelli, L.
AU - Sarti, B.
AU - Mergaert, Joris
AU - Swings, Jean
AU - Ruffieux, Kurt
AU - Wintermantel, Erich
AU - Boelens, Jan
AU - De Wilde, Bruno
AU - Müller, Wolf R.
AU - Schäfer, Anja
AU - Fink, A. Bärbel
AU - Bader, Herbert G.
PY - 1998
Y1 - 1998
N2 - Biodegradation of the commercial starch-based thermoplastic MaterBi (MB) ZI01U was investigated in six different test systems: (1) aqueous aerobic (AQ-AE), (2) aqueous anaerobic (AQ-ANA), (3) in vitro in the presence of the microorganism Acidovorax avenae avenae (MICRO), (4) controlled compost (COCO), (5) composting bins (COBI) and (6) high solids anaerobic digestion (HSAD). MB ZI01U was found to biodegrade in all test systems. Samples in the form of pellets, films and ASTM-D638 test bars were used. The composition of MB ZI01U in the course and at the end of the biodegradation experiments was monitored by thermogravimetric analysis. Rapid loss from MB ZI01U of the water-soluble plasticizer (glycerin) was invariably observed. In the anaerobic tests (AQ-ANA and HSAD), the ratio of the two polymeric components of MB ZI01U (starch and Poly-ε-caprolactone, PCL) strongly changed with increasing exposure time, indicating preferential degradation of starch. During the aerobic tests AQ-AE and MICRO the starch-to-PCL ratio remained practically constant and equal to the initial value (0.54). At the end of the COCO tests (45 days), only sample fragments were recovered, composed of plain PCL. After the COBI tests, where high temperatures (73°C) were reached during the thermophilic phase, no samples were retrieved. MB ZI01U showed the following weight loss per unit surface area: 1 mg/cm2, both after one day of exposure to Acidovorax avenae in the MICRO test and after 5 days in the AQ-AE test system; 24 mg/cm2, after 5 days of HSAD testing.
AB - Biodegradation of the commercial starch-based thermoplastic MaterBi (MB) ZI01U was investigated in six different test systems: (1) aqueous aerobic (AQ-AE), (2) aqueous anaerobic (AQ-ANA), (3) in vitro in the presence of the microorganism Acidovorax avenae avenae (MICRO), (4) controlled compost (COCO), (5) composting bins (COBI) and (6) high solids anaerobic digestion (HSAD). MB ZI01U was found to biodegrade in all test systems. Samples in the form of pellets, films and ASTM-D638 test bars were used. The composition of MB ZI01U in the course and at the end of the biodegradation experiments was monitored by thermogravimetric analysis. Rapid loss from MB ZI01U of the water-soluble plasticizer (glycerin) was invariably observed. In the anaerobic tests (AQ-ANA and HSAD), the ratio of the two polymeric components of MB ZI01U (starch and Poly-ε-caprolactone, PCL) strongly changed with increasing exposure time, indicating preferential degradation of starch. During the aerobic tests AQ-AE and MICRO the starch-to-PCL ratio remained practically constant and equal to the initial value (0.54). At the end of the COCO tests (45 days), only sample fragments were recovered, composed of plain PCL. After the COBI tests, where high temperatures (73°C) were reached during the thermophilic phase, no samples were retrieved. MB ZI01U showed the following weight loss per unit surface area: 1 mg/cm2, both after one day of exposure to Acidovorax avenae in the MICRO test and after 5 days in the AQ-AE test system; 24 mg/cm2, after 5 days of HSAD testing.
KW - Biodegradation
KW - Poly(ε-caprolactone)
KW - Standard Test
KW - Starch
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=0001380344&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1080/10601329808001999
DO - 10.1080/10601329808001999
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:0001380344
SN - 1060-1325
VL - 35
SP - 589
EP - 608
JO - Journal of Macromolecular Science - Pure and Applied Chemistry
JF - Journal of Macromolecular Science - Pure and Applied Chemistry
IS - 4
ER -