Designing of Green Plasticizers and Assessment of the Effectiveness of Their Use
- Author: mycolabadmin
- 2021-05-27
- View Source
Summary
This research developed new environmentally friendly additives for PVC plastic that help it break down naturally after use, unlike traditional plastics that persist for over 100 years. The new additives maintain the desired properties of the plastic during use while allowing it to biodegrade when disposed of in soil or compost.
Impacts on everyday life:
– Reduces long-term plastic pollution in the environment
– Helps address the growing problem of plastic waste in landfills
– Enables production of more sustainable plastic products
– Provides economic benefits through reduced environmental damage
– Maintains performance of plastic products during their intended use
Background
Environmental pollution from polymer materials is a major concern, with traditional plastics taking over 100 years to degrade. Polymer materials need to be both high-performing and environmentally friendly. The development of polymer composites that can undergo accelerated physicochemical and biological changes in natural environments through biodegradable additives is a potential solution for processing synthetic materials and freeing up land from polymer waste.
Objective
To develop new environmentally friendly plasticizers based on adipic acid esters and assess their effectiveness in PVC composites, particularly their ability to enhance biodegradation while maintaining desired material properties.
Results
The synthesized adipate plasticizers showed high thermal stability and good compatibility with PVC. The plasticizers effectively reduced PVC’s glass transition temperature. Mycological testing demonstrated that PVC films containing the new additives were susceptible to fungal growth and biodegradation. Physical-mechanical testing showed significant changes in film properties during composting, indicating biodegradation. The economic analysis showed prevented environmental damage of 1,061,340 rubles per hectare over 100 years when using these biodegradable plasticizers.
Conclusion
The new asymmetric esters of adipic acid function effectively as environmentally friendly plasticizers for PVC. They maintain good thermal stability and processing characteristics while enabling biodegradation under natural conditions. The ecological and economic assessment confirms their effectiveness in accelerating biodegradation processes of PVC composites.
- Published in:Polymers (Basel),
- Study Type:Experimental Research,
- Source: 10.3390/polym13111761