Evaluation of biodegradability of starch-based poly(ethylene) composites

NIEVAS, MARINA; SOLANAS, VALERIA; TRÍPODI, SILVANA; BUCALÁ, VERÓNICA; VILLAR, MARCELO

Rio de Janeiro, Brasil

Congreso; MACRO 2006; 2006

Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (Brasil)

The introduction of biodegradable plastics has generated a need for methods to evaluate the biodegradation of those polymers in landfills and solid waste treatment systems such as composting or anaerobic digestion. In this work we study the degradation of starch-based poly(ethylene) composites by incubation of samples in soil microcosms at 20±2 °C for 10 months. The biodegradation of starch-based poly(ethylene) composites has been determined by assessing weight loss, CO2 production, and mechanical properties of the samples.