Is polypropylene a biodegradable plastic?
Someone asked if polypropylene is a degradable plastic? So let me first understand what is degradable plastic? Degradable plastic is a kind of product that meets various performance requirements, and its performance does not change during the storage period. After use, it can be degraded in the natural environment into substances that are not harmful to the environment. This plastic is a degradable plastic.
Degradable plastics are divided into photodegradable plastics, biodegradable plastics, etc., commonly used degradable plastics include PHA, APC, PCL, and so on. Polypropylene does not belong to the category of degradable plastics. From the above description of degradable plastics, we can know that the fundamental difference of degradable plastics is that they can be degraded in the natural environment, and the degradable substances are harmless and do not have any harm to the environment. Polypropylene particles are generally added with antioxidants and degradants, which are difficult to degrade. It takes 20-30 years to degrade, and in the process will release toxins, polluting the environment and soil. As for pure polypropylene, its products cannot meet various performance requirements, are extremely unstable, and are easily degraded and oxidized.
Therefore, polypropylene is not a degradable plastic. Can polypropylene become biodegradable plastic? The answer is yes. Changing the carbonyl content of polypropylene can make the degradation period of PP plastic around 60-600 days. Adding a small amount of photoinitiator and other additives to PP plastic can quickly degrade polypropylene. In Western countries, this photodegradable PP material has been widely used in food packaging and cigarette production, but with the implementation and development of plastic restrictions in various countries. The development of biodegradable plastics will qualitatively surpass.
Post time: Mar-11-2021
