Biodegradable plastic refers to a type of plastic that is degraded by the action of microorganisms such as bacteria, mold (fungi) and algae that exist in nature. The ideal biodegradable plastic is a high-molecular material with excellent serviceability, which can be completely decomposed by environmental microorganisms after being discarded, and eventually be inorganicized to become an integral part of the carbon cycle in nature. "Paper" is a typical biodegradable material, and "synthetic plastic" is a typical polymer material. Therefore, biodegradable plastics are high-molecular materials that combine the properties of "paper" and "synthetic plastics".
mainly includes
Polyethylene PE, polypropylene PP
Characteristics
Good degradability
Foreign name
Biodegradable plastics
Classification
Complete creature, destructive creature
Main components
Natural polymers, aliphatic polyesters, etc.
Chinese name
Biodegradable plastic
table of Contents
1 definition
2 applications
3 classification
4 Development history
5 Market status
6 related questions
7 specific measures
1 definition
Biodegradable plastics can be divided into completely biodegradable plastics and destructive biodegradable plastics. Destructive biodegradable plastics currently include starch modified (or filled) polyethylene PE, polypropylene PP, polyvinyl chloride PVC, polystyrene PS, etc.
Completely biodegradable plastics are mainly made from natural polymers (such as starch, cellulose, chitin) or agricultural and sideline products through microbial fermentation or synthesis of biodegradable polymers, such as thermoplastic starch plastics, aliphatic polyester, polylactic acid , Starch/polyvinyl alcohol, etc. are all such plastics.
Biodegradable plastics based on starch and other natural materials currently mainly include the following products: polylactic acid (PLA), polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA), starch plastics, bioengineering plastics, bioplastics (polyolefin and polychloride) Ethylene).
2 applications
Due to its good degradability, biodegradable plastics are mainly used as food soft and hard packaging materials, which is also its largest application area at this stage.
The main target markets for biodegradable plastics are plastic packaging films, agricultural films, disposable plastic bags and disposable plastic tableware. Compared with traditional plastic packaging materials, the cost of new degradable materials is slightly higher. However, with the increasing awareness of environmental protection, people are willing to use new degradable materials with a higher price to protect the environment. The increased awareness of environmental protection has brought huge development opportunities to the biodegradable new materials industry. With the development of China's economy, many large-scale events that shocked the world, such as the Olympic Games and the World Expo, have been successfully held. The need to protect the sites of various world cultural heritages and national-level scenic spots has become more and more important. The treatment of white pollution is listed as one of the key tasks.
Developed countries and regions such as Europe, the United States, and Japan have successively formulated and promulgated relevant regulations to restrict the use of non-degradable plastics through measures such as local bans, restrictions, mandatory collection, and collection of pollution taxes, and vigorously develop new biodegradable materials to protect the environment 1. Protect the soil, in which France issued a policy in 2005 that all disposable plastic bags must be biodegradable after 2010.
At the same time, China has successively issued a number of policies to encourage the application and promotion of biodegradable plastics. In 2004, the National People's Congress passed the "Renewable Energy Law (Draft)" and "Solid Waste Law (Revision)" to encourage the use of renewable biomass energy and the promotion and application of degradable plastics; in 2005, the National Development and Reform Commission No. 40 document clearly encouraged The use and promotion of biodegradable plastics; in 2006, the National Development and Reform Commission launched a special fund project on the development of biomass biodegradable materials; the definition, classification, labeling and degradation performance requirements of degradable plastics implemented on January 1, 2007 were obtained The mutual recognition of Europe, the United States and Japan has provided convenience for Chinese enterprises to export products.
3 classification
Classified from raw materials, there are at least the following types of biodegradable plastics:
Polycaprolactone (PCL)
This plastic has good biodegradability, the melting point is 62 ℃. The microorganisms that decompose it are widely distributed under arrogant or anaerobic conditions. As a biodegradable material, it can be mixed with starch and cellulose materials, or polymerized with lactic acid.
Polybutylene succinate (PBS) and its copolymers
The technology of manufacturing various high molecular weight polyesters based on PBS (melting point 114°C) has reached the level of industrial production. Japan's Mitsubishi Chemical and Showa Polymer Co., Ltd. have begun industrial production, with a scale of about 1,000 tons.
The Institute of Physics and Chemistry of the Chinese Academy of Sciences is also conducting research on the synthesis of polybutylene succinate copolyester. The Institute of Physics and Chemistry of the Chinese Academy of Sciences has cooperated with Shandong Huiying Company to build a production line with an annual output of 25,000 tons of PBS and its polymers, and Guangdong Jinfa Company has built a production line with an annual output of 1,000 tons. Tsinghua University has built a production line with an annual output of 10,000 tons of PBS and its copolymers in Anqing Hexing Chemical Co., Ltd.
Polylactic acid (PLA)
American Natureworks has done active and effective work in improving the production process of polylactic acid, and developed the fermentation of glucose in corn to produce polylactic acid. The annual production capacity has reached 14,000 tons. Japan UNITIKA Company has developed and produced many kinds of products, among which canvas, tray, tableware, etc. are widely used in the Aichi Expo in Japan.
Industrialized in China is Zhejiang Haisheng Biodegradable Plastics Co., Ltd. (5000-kilogram/year production line), and units under trial are Shanghai Tongjieliang Biomaterials Co., Ltd. and Jiangsu Jiuding Group.
Polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA)
The main countries that realize industrialized production abroad are the United States and Brazil. Domestic production units include Tianjin Guoyun Biomaterials Co., Ltd. (scale 10,000 tons/year), Ningbo Tianan Biomaterials Co., Ltd. (scale 2,000 tons/year), and Jiangsu Nantian Group Co., Ltd. and others in the pilot test.
Using biodegradable plastics obtained from renewable resources, aliphatic polyester and starch are mixed together, and the technology for producing degradable plastics has also been successfully studied. In European and American countries, blends of starch and aliphatic polyester are widely used to produce garbage bags and other products. The largest and best-selling in the world is Novamont in Italy, whose product name is Mater-bi, and its products have a large number of applications in Europe and the United States.
There are many domestic research and production units, among which the industrialized units are Wuhan Huali Technology Co., Ltd. (scale 40,000 tons/year), Zhejiang Huafang Technology Co., Ltd. (8,000 tons/year), Zhejiang Tianhe Ecological Technology Co., Ltd. ( 5,000 tons/year), Fujian Besta Biomaterial Co., Ltd. (scale 2,000 tons/year), Zhaoqing Huafang Degradable Plastic Co., Ltd. (scale 5,000 tons/year), etc.
Aliphatic aromatic copolyester
The aliphatic aromatic random copolyester (Ecoflex) manufactured by the German BASF company, its monomers are: adipic acid, terephthalic acid, 1,4-butanediol. The production capacity is 140,000 tons/year. At the same time, biodegradable plastic products based on polyester and starch were developed.
Polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) biodegradable plastics
For example, MaterBi products of NOVMANT in Italy mainly added PVA to starch in the 1990s, which can blow film and process other products. Polyvinyl alcohol materials need to be modified to have good biodegradability. The Institute of Light Industry Plastics Processing and Application of Beijing Technology and Business University has achieved certain results in this regard.
CO2 copolymer
Abroad, the earliest countries to study carbon dioxide copolymers are mainly Japan and the United States, but there has been no industrial production. Domestic Inner Mongolia Mengxi Group Company has adopted the technology of Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, and has built an annual output of 3,000 tons of carbon dioxide/epoxy compound copolymer resin. The products are mainly used in packaging and medical materials. The low-molecular-weight carbon dioxide copolymer technology developed by Dr. Chen Liban, Guangzhou Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, has been put into production in Taixing, Jiangsu. It is a low-molecular-weight carbon dioxide/epoxy compound copolymer used as a raw material for polyurethane foam materials and used in household appliances. Etc. packaging. Henan Tianguan Group has adopted the technology of Professor Meng Yuezhong of Sun Yat-sen University and has built a pilot-scale carbon dioxide copolymer production line.
Others such as chitin, polyamide, polyaspartic acid, glycan, cellulose, etc. are under development.
Poly-β-hydroxybutyrate (PHB)
From a global perspective, PHB and PHBV are recognized as one of the most promising biodegradable plastics and new products being developed. The pilot production cost of the technical side is about 40 yuan/kg. The cost of the product after industrialization will be further reduced, and the price advantage is obvious. In particular, the technical side's simple production process and simple equipment are convenient for promotion and large-scale production.
4 Development history
According to data from the Japan Biodegradable Plastics Research Association, the production of biodegradable plastics in Japan was about 10,000 tons in 2002, about 20,000 tons in 2003, about 40,000 tons in 2005, and about 100,000 to 200,000 tons by 2010.
According to the European Bioplastics Association, figures from 2001 show that the consumption of biodegradable products in the EU is 25,000 to 30,000 tons, while the consumption of traditional polymers is as high as 35 million tons. The European Bioplastics Association expects the consumption of traditional polymers to reach 55 million tons in 2010, while the use of biodegradable plastics will reach 500,000 to 1 million tons. Biodegradable materials may eventually occupy 10% of the market. In biodegradable materials, the proportion of raw materials using renewable resources will account for more than 90%.
According to the statistics of the China Plastics Association Degradable Plastics Professional Committee, the amount of biodegradable materials in China in 2003 was about 15,000 tons, of which about 1,000 tons were biodegradable polymers without added starch. In 2005, there were about 30 companies engaged in biodegradable plastics, with a production capacity of 60,000 tons/year, actual production of about 30,000 tons, domestic market demand of about 50,000 tons, foreign imports of 10,000 tons, and exports of 20,000 tons. It is estimated that the production capacity will reach about 250,000 tons in 2010. For details, please refer to the "Foreseeing China Biodegradable Plastics Industry In-depth Investigation and Investment Strategic Planning Analysis Report"
Some developed countries are also guided by the idea of circular economy, using degradable disposable appliances, such as Sweden’s trial production of disposable snack boxes made of potato and corn in the late 1980s, and South Korea compulsoryly stipulates the use of sticky rice toothpicks Wait. Europe has established the standard EN13432 "Requirements for the testing and final evaluation of packaging materials that are beneficial to composting and biodegradation for recycling" of biodegradable compostable plastics, and other decrees related to the promotion of organic waste composting are under active formulation and preparation. The US government has set up the President’s Green Chemistry Challenge Award since 1996 to encourage the development of a biodegradable plastics industry. New York State banned the use of non-biodegradable vegetable bags in 1989, subsidized manufacturers of degradable plastics, and asked citizens to separate renewable and non-renewable garbage, otherwise a fine of $500.
Some other countries have adopted similar countermeasures: India has legislation prohibiting the use of plastic packaging in the dairy industry; South African laws have completely banned the use of plastic packaging bags. With the development of legislation in various countries, new biodegradable packaging materials are expected to become increasingly popular.
In China, with the deepening understanding of degradable plastics, we have fully realized the strategic role of this material and its industry in China's sustainable development. The popularization and application of biodegradable plastics has been well received. The People’s Republic of China passed the Renewable Energy Law (Draft) and the Solid Waste Law (Revision) in 2004, encouraging the use of renewable biomass energy and the promotion and application of degradable plastics. In the National Development and Reform Commission document No. 40 in 2005, it is also clear to encourage the use and promotion of biodegradable plastics. In 2006, the National Development and Reform Commission launched a special fund project on promoting the development of biomass biodegradable materials.
5 Market status
By 2019, the market value of the biodegradable plastics industry will grow to US$3.477 billion at an average annual growth rate of 13.01%. From 2014 to 2019, the European biodegradable plastics market is expected to grow at an average annual growth rate of 12%.
Biodegradable plastics ushered in a period of rapid development. Although the concept of biodegradable plastics has been heated up until now, the application has never been able to increase its volume.
Biodegradable plastics are mainly used in packaging, fiber, agriculture, injection molding and other fields, of which the most widely used in the packaging industry, accounted for about 60% of the total market in 2013, food packaging demand accounted for more than 70% of the biodegradable plastic packaging market share ; Injection molding application market is the main driving force for the growth of biodegradable plastics demand.
As of the end of 2013, Europe and the United States are the main markets for biodegradable plastics. According to statistics, biodegradable plastics in Europe and North America accounted for 54% and 28% of the global market in 2013, respectively.
The European Parliament Environmental Committee has passed a draft on reducing the use of disposable light plastic bags. The draft recommends that the 28 EU member states follow a two-step approach to effectively reduce the use of plastic bags to achieve the goal of reducing the use of ultra-thin plastic bags by 80% in 2019 compared with 2010. This resolution is expected to greatly stimulate the market demand for biodegradable plastics, and is expected to create huge growth opportunities for related manufacturers in the next five years.
6 related questions
However, although there are many studies and reports on degraded plastics, many specific problems cannot be solved, the promotion is extremely difficult, and the outlook is not optimistic. The reasons are: first, because of the low load-bearing capacity of the degradable plastic bags, which cannot meet the requirements of customers to load more things and repeated use; second, the degradable plastic bags have a dull yellow color and low transparency, giving a sense of cleanness and ugliness. , It is not easy to use; Third, the price is too high, because the merchants give away for free, so the cost is difficult to accept.
Another example is to solve the environmental pollution problem of EPS fast food lunch boxes. Try to use paper lunch boxes or degradable plastic lunch boxes instead. However, due to the following reasons, it is extremely difficult to promote: first, EPS has high strength, light weight, and good thermal insulation; second, the price of paper lunch boxes is 1.5 to 2.5 times that of EPS; third, even if degraded PP lunch boxes are used, their performance is not comparable. On EPS. Relevant Chinese authorities require the use of plant fibers to make disposable tableware instead of EPS. However, since the polymer hot-melt is used in the molding process of the vegetable fiber tableware, there are still problems of disposal and control of pesticide content remaining in the vegetable fiber tableware.
Therefore, there is still a long way to go to develop and study degradable plastics. The development of the biodegradable plastics industry is facing five major problems. The first is that the technology is not mature enough, and the performance of degradable plastic products cannot fully meet various consumer demands. Although there are many varieties of biodegradable plastics on the market, the mechanical and processing properties of each material are only outstanding in a certain aspect, and the comprehensive performance still has some shortcomings. At present, the domestic research strength in the processing of degradable plastic products is still weak. Most enterprises will focus on the synthesis of materials, ignoring the processing and development of products. Some catering appliances made of biodegradable plastics are heat-resistant, water-resistant and mechanical. The strength is far from traditional plastic products.
The second is cost. The price of biodegradable plastic products is still difficult to compete with petroleum-based products, which requires continuous reduction of production costs and product prices through technological progress.
The third is the lack of strong policies or laws and regulations. In foreign countries, the government has adopted special development funds, tax incentives and other policies
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