What are biodegradable plastic bags?
Biodegradable plastic bags are environmentally friendly plastic bags that degrade into water and carbon dioxide through microbial action in composting conditions, without causing soil toxicity or secondary pollution. Common materials used in manufacturing include:
PBAT (polybutylene adipate/terephthalate), PLA (polylactic acid), PCL (polycaprolactone), PHA (polyhydroxyalkanoate), and other biodegradable polymers.
Under what conditions do biodegradable bags degrade? What are the conditions for degradation?
Degradation under composting conditions
Composting conditions: Moisture content above 95%, soil, temperature (28-58°C), and specific microorganisms.
What are semi-degradable plastic bags?
Materials that only degrade into small fragments and cannot be converted into water and carbon dioxide within the specified timeframe. Photodegradable materials (such as d2W and P-Life) add 1-2% of a photooxidative agent to traditional PE materials. There are also mixed materials of PE and starch, in which the starch part can be degraded, but the remaining PE part still cannot be degraded.
What is the proportion of biodegradable plastic bags?
According to EU and national standards, more than 90% of the resin components must be biodegraded into water and carbon dioxide
What is the difference between biodegradable bags and ordinary plastic bags? How to identify?
In addition to composting, the following rapid identification methods are available:
Infrared spectroscopy (comparing molecular structures) to quickly identify the composition of plastic bags
Chemical pyrolysis (biodegradable materials can be quickly decomposed under hot alkaline conditions, while ordinary plastic bags will not)
What is the shelf life of biodegradable bags?
12 months in sealed condition (protected from moisture, soil, light, etc.)
What is PLA and what is PBAT?
PLA is a polymer made by converting starch into lactic acid monomers through fermentation, which is then chemically polymerized into polylactic acid.
PBAT is a polymer made by chemically polymerizing adipic acid, terephthalic acid, and butanediol.
Both materials can biodegrade into water and carbon dioxide in composting conditions.
Why add PBAT?
PBAT has excellent flexibility, processability, and resistance to high and low temperatures, which can meet the needs of film applications. In addition, PBAT is widely available, easy to mass-produce, and low-cost, making it an excellent product to replace polyolefin materials.
