Biodegradation of polystyrene-graft-starch copolymers in three different types of soil
- 3 May 2014
- journal article
- Published by Springer Science and Business Media LLC in Environmental Science and Pollution Research
- Vol. 21 (16), 9877-9886
- https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-014-2946-0
Abstract
Materials based on polystyrene and starch copolymers are used in food packaging, water pollution treatment, and textile industry, and their biodegradability is a desired characteristic. In order to examine the degradation patterns of modified, biodegradable derivates of polystyrene, which may keep its excellent technical features but be more environmentally friendly at the same time, polystyrene-graft-starch biomaterials obtained by emulsion polymerization in the presence of new type of initiator/activator pair (potassium persulfate/different amines) were subjected to 6-month biodegradation by burial method in three different types of commercially available soils: soil rich in humus and soil for cactus and orchid growing. Biodegradation was monitored by mass decrease, and the highest degradation rate was achieved in soil for cactus growing (81.30 %). Statistical analysis proved that microorganisms in different soil samples have different ability of biodegradation, and there is a significant negative correlation between the share of polystyrene in copolymer and degree of biodegradation. Grafting of polystyrene on starch on one hand prevents complete degradation of starch that is present (with maximal percentage of degraded starch ranging from 55 to 93 %), while on the other hand there is an upper limit of share of polystyrene in the copolymer (ranging from 37 to 77 %) that is preventing biodegradation of degradable part of copolymers.This publication has 28 references indexed in Scilit:
- Radiation-assisted morphology modification of LDPE/TPS blends: A study on starch degradation-processing-morphology correlationJournal of Applied Polymer Science, 2011
- Biodegradation of Thermoplastic Starch and its Blends with Poly(lactic acid) and Polyethylene: Influence of MorphologyMacromolecular Chemistry and Physics, 2011
- Biodegradation of LDPE/Modified Starch Blends Sterilized with Gamma RadiationJournal of Polymers and the Environment, 2010
- Preparation of cassava starch grafted with polystyrene by suspension polymerizationCarbohydrate Polymers, 2008
- Thermal behavior and surface morphology studies on polystyrene grafted sago starchJournal of Applied Polymer Science, 2003
- Preparation of starch-g-polystyrene copolymer by emulsion polymerizationCarbohydrate Polymers, 2002
- The production of a new partially biodegradable starch plastic by reactive extrusionPolymer Engineering & Science, 2000
- Degradation of styrene-g-cassava starch filled polystyrene plasticsPolymer Degradation and Stability, 1999
- Amine activators for the ?cool? peroxide initiated polymerization of acrylic monomersJournal of Polymer Science Part A: Polymer Chemistry, 1996
- Photopolymerization in aqueous solutions initiated by the interaction of excited pyrene derivatives with aliphatic aminesMacromolecules, 1993