Compostable Polymer Materials / Edition 2

by Ewa Rudnik

Overview

Compostable Polymer Materials, Second Edition, deals with the environmentally important family of polymers designed to be disposed of in industrial and municipal compost facilities after their useful life. These compostable plastics undergo degradation and leave no visible, distinguishable, or toxic residue. Environmental concerns and legislative measures taken in different regions of the world make composting an increasingly attractive route for the disposal of redundant polymers.This book covers the entire spectrum of preparation, degradation, and evironmental issues related to compostable polymers. It emphasizes recent studies concerning compostability and ecotoxilogical assessment of polymer materials. It descibes the thermal behavior, including flammability properties, of compostable polymers. It also explores possible routes of compostable polymers waste disposal through an ecological lens. Finally, the book examines the economic factors at work, including price evolution over the past decade, the current market, and future perspectives. Compostable Polymer Materials is an essential resource for graduate students and scientists working in chemistry, materials science, ecology, and environmental science.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780080994383
Publisher:	Elsevier Science
Publication date:	06/05/2019
Edition description:	2nd ed.
Pages:	410
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x (d)

About the Author

Professor Ewa Rudnik works at the Faculty of Fire Engineering, The Main School of Fire Service, Warsaw, Poland. Professor Rudnik is actively engaged in the dissemination of new knowledge concerning the biodegradation behavior and mechanisms of specific polymers in soil and under composting conditions. In 2002, she carried out the study as a research guest at GSF- National Research Center for Environment and Health in Neuherberg/Munich (Germany). Additionally, Professor Rudnik was a Marie Curie Fellow at the Agricultural University of Athens in the research group of Professor Demetres Briassoulis. Professor Rudnik’s publications address important issues related to environmental safety, including 1 monography, 3 book chapters, publications, seminars, and lectures aimed at scientists and students, as well as people interested in the fields of ecology and environmental science.

Table of Contents

Preface     vii
Symbols and abbreviations     xi
Introduction     3
Situation in Europe     4
Situation in the United States     6
Situation in other regions of the world     6
References     7
Compostable polymer materials - definitions, structures and methods of preparation     11
Biodegradable polymers from renewable resources     14
Other compostable polymers from renewable resources     25
Biodegradable polymers from petrochemical sources     28
References     35
Properties and applications     39
Biodegradable polymers from renewable resources     39
Biodegradable polymers from petrochemical sources     52
Blends     60
Summary     63
References     64
Thermal and thermooxidative degradation     73
Biodegradable polymers from renewable resources     73
Biodegradable polymers from petrochemical sources     77
Blends     79
Summary of thermal stability of compostable polymer materials     80
References     83
Composting methods and legislation     89
Composting definitions     89
Composting process and methods     89
Composting of biodegradable polymers     98
Labelling systems in different regions     103
Cooperation between certification and labelling systems     108
References     109
Biodegradability testing of compostable polymer materials     113
Definitions related to biodegradation testing     113
International standards related to composting     115
Principles of main standards related to composting and biodegradability testing     117
Composting at laboratory scale     123
Biodegradability testing methods     127
Biodegradation of biodegradable polymers from renewable resources     130
Biodegradation of biodegradable polymers from petrochemical sources     142
Biodegradation of blends     153
Summary of composting     159
References     159
Ectoxicological assessment     169
Introduction     169
Definitions     170
Methods     170
Compostable polymers ecotoxicity testing     176
Conclusions     177
References     180
Environmental impact of compostable polymer materials     183
Introduction      183
Life cycle assessment methodology     183
Life cycle assessment of poly(lactic acid)     186
Polyhydroxyalkanoates     187
Starch-based polymers     191
Blends     192
Overview     194
Conclusions     197
References     198
Perspectives     203
Price evolution     203
Capacity     204
Legislation initiatives     204
Demand estimation     206
Conclusions     207
References     208
Index     209

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From the Publisher

All you need to know about this family of polymers designed to cut waste and contribute to a sustainable environment.