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| d2w® Oxo-Biodegradable Plastics Technology |
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Plastic is fantastic!
Plastic
is strong, durable, versatile, lightweight, safe and inexpensive. It is
made from a by-product of oil refining which would otherwise be wasted,
so nobody is importing oil to make plastic products. However, the
problem identified by governments and NGOs around the world is that
plastic does last rather too long if it gets into the environment and
especially in the oceans. so, why not we make plastic degradable after its safe service life?
d2w® passes the tests prescribed by
"American Standard ASTM D6954"
for Plastic that Degrade in the Environment by a Combination of
Oxidation and Biodegradation. Oxo-degradation of plastics is defined by
TC249/WG9 of CEN (the European Standards Organisation) as "degradation
identified as resulting from oxidative cleavage of
macromolecules." And oxo-biodegradation as "degradation identified
as resulting from oxidative and cell-mediated phenomena, either
simultaneously or successively."
Now we have the solution ! "D2W® Oxo-biodegradable = Oxidation + Biodegradation
d2w®is
a low cost additive for polyethylene and polypropylene which causes the
plastic to break down into a biodegradable form (the long plastic
chains break down into shorter chains which can then be accessed by
micro organisms which break them down to carbon dioxide and water.
Degradation
reactions will start soon after the product is made, but the fact that
the formulation contains a stabilizing package moderates these
reactions so that outward signs of degradation such as loss of
mechanical integrity should not be evident. This leads to the concept
of an induction period for break down and thus a useful shelf life. d2w®additive works to break down the carbon-carbon bonds in the plastic leading to a
lowering of the molecular weight and eventually to a loss of strength
and other properties. The plastic does not just fragment, but is
consumed by micro-organisms after the additive has reduced the
molecular weight to sub 40,000 Daltons , and it is therefore
"biodegradable." This process continues until the material has
biodegraded to nothing more than CO2, water, humus, and trace elements.
d2w® Eco-compatible
• Does not leave fragments of petro-polymers in the soil
• Passes all the standard eco-toxicity tests
• Is safe for long-term contact with food
• Does not contain organo-chlorine, PCBs or "heavy metals."
• Does not emit methane or nitrous oxide, even deep in a landfill
• Can be made from recyclate
• Can be safely recycled
• Can be composted in-vessel
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