Environmentally-degradable polymers

There are signs that the use of environmentally degradable polymers and plastics is expanding. As the market begias to become aware of the availabihty of these new materials, it is expected that they will move iato niche opportunities. When this occurs, production will iacrease, and costs, the biggest barrier to acceptance, should begia to come down. Some of the polymers ia production at some scale larger than laboratory are shown ia Table 5. 

International agreement is close as of 1996 on what an acceptable environmentally degradable polymer should do ia the environment succiacdy put, it must not harm the environment. There has been much progress ia the early 1990s on this issue standard protocols are available to determine degradation ia the environment of disposal, and definitions are understood and accepted ia a broad sense, if not ia detail. Fate and effects issues for these new polymers are being addressed, and these will be resolved and appropriate tests developed. 

Note 1 The degradation of an environmentally degradable polymer after use is sometimes desirable. 

Copolymers of acrylonitrile and methyl acrylate and terpolymers of acrylonitrile, styrene, and methyl methacrylate are used as bamer polymers. Acrylonitrile copolymers and multipolymers containing butyl acrylate, ethyl aciylate, 2-ethylhexyl acrylate, hydroxyethyl acrylate, methyl methaciylate. vinyl acetate, vinyl ethers, and vinylidene chlonde are also used in bamer films, laminates, and coatings. Environmentally degradable polymers useful in packaging are prepared from polymerization of acrylonitrile with styrene and methyl vinyl ketone. 

H. Schnitzer, Agro-based Zero Emissions Systems, Environmentally Degradable Polymers from Renewable Resources Workshop, Bangkok (2006). 

Light Emitting Polymers Environmentally Degradable Polymers... 

A number of solutions have been forthcoming as evidenced by the large number of publications and patents concerned with methods for environmentally degrading polymers. In a publication of the Plastics Technical Evaluation center at Picatinny Arsenal entitled "Environmentally Degradable Plastics A Review" and authored by Mrs. Joan Titus, much of the past history up to about February 1973 has been covered. Also papers presented at the conference on "Degradability of Polymers and Plastics" in London in November, 1973 have summarized many of the fundamental and practical aspects of polymer degradation. 

Biodegradable or environmentally degradable polymers are increasingly used as an alternative to traditional commodity plastics in shopping bags, packag-... 

---