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All biodegradable polymers should be stable and durable enough for use in their particular application, but upon disposal they should easily break down. [citation needed] Polymers, specifically biodegradable polymers, have extremely strong carbon backbones that are difficult to break, such that degradation often starts from the end-groups.
Polymer degradation is the reduction in the physical properties of a polymer, such as strength, caused by changes in its chemical composition.Polymers and particularly plastics are subject to degradation at all stages of their product life cycle, including during their initial processing, use, disposal into the environment and recycling. [1]
Biodegradable polymers are classified into three groups: medical, ecological, and dual application, while in terms of origin they are divided into two groups: natural and synthetic. [18] The Clean Technology Group is exploiting the use of supercritical carbon dioxide , which under high pressure at room temperature is a solvent that can use ...
Compostable plastic products contain a certification label from the U.S. Composting Council, typically the number "7" inside a recycling symbol along with the letters "PLA" underneath, which stand ...
Biodegradable bags still strong enough to carry shopping after three years in the ground show that 'biodegradability' isn't all it's cracked up to be. When biodegradable plastic is not ...
Biodegradable additives can convert the plastic degradation process to one of biodegradation. Instead of being degraded simply by environmental factors, such as sunlight (photo-oxidation) or heat (thermal degradation), biodegradable additives allow polymers to be degraded by microorganisms and bacteria through direct or indirect attack.
Biologically-based polymers, sourced from non-fossil materials, can decompose naturally in the environment, whereas some plastics products made from biodegradable polymers require the assistance of anaerobic digesters or composting units to break down synthetic material during organic recycling processes.
All polymers are made of repetitive units called monomers. Biopolymers often have a well-defined structure, though this is not a defining characteristic (example: lignocellulose): The exact chemical composition and the sequence in which these units are arranged is called the primary structure, in the case of proteins.