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These days, an article titled “New Type of Bioplastic Developed in Shanghai” published online reads as follows: When buried in soil, it reaches the degradation rate specified in the standards after just 3 months – a rate that would be achieved only after half a year of burial under normal conditions. On February 4, Shanghai Petrochemical reported that a new type of bioplastic resulting from an innovative manufacturing process – biodegradable polyester – has undergone pilot production at the company, with batch products being manufactured. This biodegradable polyester, developed through a collaboration between Shanghai Petrochemical and the Beijing Research Institute of Chemical Technology under Sinopec, utilizes Sinopec’s proprietary production processes and catalysts. According to tests conducted by the **Plastic Products Quality Supervision and Inspection Center, after 94 days the degradation rate reached 62.1%, which meets the criteria defined in ** standards for biodegradable plastics. Comparative tests with degradable products manufactured by a well-known foreign company showed that their biodegradability is at the same level. Compared to other bioplastics that are already available on the market, this new type of bioplastic developed by Shanghai Petrochemical features significantly improved heat resistance, with a heat deformation temperature exceeding 100°C. It can be widely used in applications involving disposable items such as tableware and medical supplies, as well as in packaging applications like tote bags, packaging films, garbage bags, food container boxes, and packaging for electronic devices. It is also suitable for use in agricultural fields, such as in agricultural films and as materials for the controlled release of pesticides and fertilizers. More importantly, this new type of bioplastic can be blended in certain proportions with biological materials such as starch to produce various products. Once discarded, these supplies become “food” for microorganisms in the soil. Microorganisms break down these \"feasts\" in a harmless manner by consuming them. Is there anyone who knows the specifics? Could you please provide a detailed explanation? Thank you in advance!
I’m interested in this; are there any experts in this forum who can give some guidance?
It seems that with these biodegradable plastics, either there are still technical issues or the costs are high, which is why they haven’t been widely adopted...
It’s mainly an application issue – you simply can’t control the degradation
I’ve never really understood the actual process of such degradation. As reported, when plastics are blended with biological materials like starch, the starch and similar substances are consumed by microorganisms; macroscopically, the physical form of the product does indeed get ‘destroyed’. But on a microscopic level, does the plastic component really get degraded as well? Has the molecular weight decreased significantly? To what extent does it need to be reduced to meet the standard?
With so much biodegradable plastic available, what commercial products can be offered to the market?