BIODEGRADABLE

POLYMERS AND PLASTICS

 POLYMER SUBSTANCE OF HIGH MOLAR MASS THAT IS

COMPOSED OF REPEATING STRUCTURAL UNITS.

PLASTIC MATERIAL COMPOSED MAINLY OF POLYMERS.

BIODEGRADABLE PLASTICS PLASTICS THAT WILL FULLY
DECOMPOSE TO CARBON DIOXIDE, METHANE, WATER, BIOMASS
AND INORGANIC COMPOUNDS UNDER AEROBIC OR ANAEROBIC
CONDITIONS AND THE ACTION OF LIVING ORGANISMS.

BIODEGRADATION

MICROORGANISMS RECOGNIZE
BIODEGRADABLE POLYMERS AS FOOD
MICROORGANISMS RECOGNIZE POLYMERS AS A SOURCE OF
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS AND ENERGY THAT SUSTAIN THEM.

SCISSION OF THE POLYMER CHAIN

RESULTED SMALLER MOLECULES WHICH ENTER INTO CELLULAR
METABOLIC PROCESSES GENERATING ENERGY AND TURNING INTO
WATER, CARBON DIOXIDE, BIOMASS AND OTHER BASIC PRODUCTS
OF BIOTIC DECOMPOSITION.

MINERALIZATION
A PROCESS, IN WHICH AN ORGANIC
SUBSTANCE, SUCH AS A POLYMER, IS
CONVERTED TO AN INORGANIC SUBSTANCE,
SUCH AS CARBON DIOXIDE, IS CALLED

MINERALIZATION

CHEMICAL REACTIONS DURING

BIODEGRADATION
OXIDATION
HYDROLYSIS
THE DECOMPOSITION OF CONDENSATION POLYMERS TAKES PLACE THROUGH
HYDROLYSIS WHILE
DECOMPOSITION OF POLYMERS IN WHICH THE MAIN CHAIN CONTAINS ONLY
CARBON ATOMS INCLUDES OXIDATION WHICH CAN BE FOLLOWED BY
HYDROLYSIS OF THE PRODUCTS OF OXIDATION.

SPECTROSCOPY
INFRARED SPECTROSCOPY IS USED TO DETERMINE THE AMOUNT OF THE
CARBONYL GROUPS

(-(C=O)-) THAT ARE THE RESULT OF THE OXIDATION PROCESS.

FRAGMENTATION+MINERALIZATION=BIODEGRADA
TION
FRAGMENTATION:
THE MATERIAL THAT IS EXPOSED TO LIVING OR
NON-LIVING FACTORS UNDERGOES A CHEMICAL
DECOMPOSITION OF THE POLYMER AND
THEREFORE DECOMPOSES MECHANICALLY
(FRAGMENTS)

BIODEGRADABLE OR COMPOSTABLE?
COMPOSTABLE PLASTICS ARE A SUBGROUP OF BIODEGRADABLE PLASTICS AND
ARE BIOLOGICALLY DECOMPOSED UNDER COMPOSTING CONDITIONS AND
WITHIN THE RELATIVELY SHORT PERIOD OF A COMPOSTING CYCLE.
COMPOSTABLE ALWAYS MEANS BIODEGRADABLE.
BIODEGRADABLE DOES NOT NECESSARILY MEAN COMPOSTABLE.

BIODEGRADABLE PLASTICS MAY BE

MANUFACTURED FROM RENEWABLE OR
NON-RENEWABLE RESOURCES