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| ==Technology== | ==Technology== | ||
| Biodegradation of plastics can be acheieved by enabling microorganisms in the environment to metabolize the molecular structure of plastic films to pruduce an inert humus-like fmaterial that is less harmful to the environment. | |||
| The use of proprietary bio-active compounds compounded with proprietary swelling agent ensure that when combined with heat and moisture, the expand the plastic's molecular structure and allow the bio-active compinds to metabolise and neutralize the plastic. | |||
| == Advantages of biodegradable plastic== | |||
| ==Importance of Bio-Batch== | |||
| ⚫ | Using propritary formulations with existing processes only nominally effects production costs. This is largely because the technology does not rely on changing to re-engineered plastics which have not achieved economies of scale but merely requires adding a small percentage of bio-active material to existing resins. In addition, the additions do not jeopardize the products' quality. Plastic products making use of this technology can be manufactured to be clear, as well as opaque, and in any colour. | ||
| Bio-Batch plastic is the only plastic that can make ] the most used plastic in the world biodegradable. Bio-Batch is much different than it's counterpart, Starch made plastics. Starch made plastics are plastics that can only biodegrade in certain circumstances under certain conditions which are found in very few composting facilities as seen in the Smithsonian article on Green Resins. | |||
| ==Biodegradable Plastic== | |||
| ''Pros'' | |||
| ⚫ | |||
| ''Cons'' | |||
| Consequently, the use of Bio-Batch technology only increases production costs by pennies per pound. | |||
| ==Environmental Concerns== | ==Environmental Concerns== | ||
| Over 200 million |
Over 200 million tonnes of plastic are manufactured annually around the world, according to the . Of those 200 Million tons 26 Million are manufactured in the United States. The ] reported in 2003 that only 5.8% of those 26 Million tons of plastic waste are recycled. The wastage of plastic at increased rates are causing problems with ] capacity throughout the world. The use of biodegradable plastic is one means of reducing the volumes of waste priduced by modern societies | ||
| ==Total Power Consumption of Green Resins VS Bio-Batch Made Plastics== | |||
| Information based on the Scientific American | |||
| PLANT-BASED PLASTICS PHA (grown in corn plants) = | |||
| 90 m/kg* of plastic Corn stover grown, harvested and delivered to factory | |||
| Plastic extracted from stover using solvents | |||
| Solvents distilled and separated from plastic | |||
| PHA (bacterial fermentation) = 81 m/kg of plastic Corn or other plants grown, harvested and delivered to factory | |||
| Plants processed to yield sugar | |||
| Sugar fermented into plastic inside bacteria | |||
| Bacterial cells opened; plastic separated, | |||
| concentrated and dried PLA = 56 m/kg of plastic | |||
| FOSSIL FUEL-BASED PLASTICS | |||
| Energy* Raw Materials* | |||
| PE 29 81 | |||
| PET 37 76 | |||
| NYLON 93 142 | |||
| The Problem: Energy and Emissions | |||
| ⚫ | |||
| Based on current patterns of energy use in the corn-processing industry, it would take 2.65 kilograms of fossil fuel to power the production of a single kilogram of PHA. Using data collected by the Association of European Plastics Manufacturers for 36 European plastic factories, we estimated that one kilogram of polyethylene, in contrast, requires about 2.2 kilograms of oil and natural gas, nearly half of which ends up in the final product. That means only 60 percent of the total–or 1.3 kilograms–is burned to generate energy. | |||
| Given this comparison, it is impossible to argue that plastic grown in corn and extracted with energy from fossil fuels would conserve fossil resources. What is gained by substituting the renewable resource for the finite one is lost in the additional requirement for energy. In an earlier study, one of us (Gerngross) discovered that producing a kilogram of PHA by microbial fermentation requires a similar quantity–2.39 kilograms–of fossil fuel. These disheartening realizations are part of the reason that Monsanto, the technological leader in the area of plant-derived PHA, announced late last year that it would terminate development of these plastic-production systems. | |||
| The only plant-based plastic that is currently being commercialized is Cargill Dow’s PLA. Fueling this process requires 20 to 50 percent fewer fossil resources than does making plastics from oil, but it is still significantly more energy intensive than most petrochemical processes are. Company officials anticipate eventually reducing the energy requirement. The process has yet to profit from the decades of work that have benefited the petrochemical industry. Developing alternative plant-sugar sources that require less energy to process, such as wheat and beets, is one way to attenuate the use of fossil fuels. In the meantime, scientists at Cargill Dow estimate that the first PLA manufacturing facility, now being built in Blair, Neb., will expend at most 56 megajoules of energy for every kilogram of plastic–50 percent more than is needed for PET but 40 percent less than for nylon, another of PLA’s petrochemical competitors. Published in the Scientific American by TILLMAN U. GERNGROSS and STEVEN C. SLATER. | |||
| ==Testing that has been completed on Bio-Batch== | |||
| ==Cost of production of plastics== | |||
| ASTM D5338.98 Aerobic Biodegradation, ASTM D5511.92 Anerobic Biodegradation, FDA Approved, EPA Approved, as well as various other tests involving biodegradation, toxcicity, mold and fungi. | |||
| ⚫ | Making one kilogram of plastic from genetically modified corn plants requires about 3 times as much energy as that needed to manufacture an equal amount of fossil fuel-based polyethylene. The benefit of using corn instead of mineral oil as a raw material could not offset this substantially higher energy demand. | ||
| ==External links== | |||
| * | |||
Revision as of 14:59, 25 August 2006
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Technology
Biodegradation of plastics can be acheieved by enabling microorganisms in the environment to metabolize the molecular structure of plastic films to pruduce an inert humus-like fmaterial that is less harmful to the environment.
The use of proprietary bio-active compounds compounded with proprietary swelling agent ensure that when combined with heat and moisture, the expand the plastic's molecular structure and allow the bio-active compinds to metabolise and neutralize the plastic.
Advantages of biodegradable plastic
Using propritary formulations with existing processes only nominally effects production costs. This is largely because the technology does not rely on changing to re-engineered plastics which have not achieved economies of scale but merely requires adding a small percentage of bio-active material to existing resins. In addition, the additions do not jeopardize the products' quality. Plastic products making use of this technology can be manufactured to be clear, as well as opaque, and in any colour.
Environmental Concerns
Over 200 million tonnes of plastic are manufactured annually around the world, according to the . Of those 200 Million tons 26 Million are manufactured in the United States. The EPA reported in 2003 that only 5.8% of those 26 Million tons of plastic waste are recycled. The wastage of plastic at increased rates are causing problems with landfill capacity throughout the world. The use of biodegradable plastic is one means of reducing the volumes of waste priduced by modern societies
Cost of production of plastics
Making one kilogram of plastic from genetically modified corn plants requires about 3 times as much energy as that needed to manufacture an equal amount of fossil fuel-based polyethylene. The benefit of using corn instead of mineral oil as a raw material could not offset this substantially higher energy demand.