Biodegradable lignin/polyolefin composite films
- Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava (Slovakia)
- Slovak Technical Univ., Bratislava (Slovakia)
- Alcell Technology Repap Technologies, Inc., Valley Forge, PA (United States)
From the view point of environmental protection, the plastic wastes, especially from packing materials, represent a potential waste problem. Various approaches were examined to develop partially or completely biodegradable plastics. New type of partially biodegradable polyolefins was prepared by blending of polypropylene with lignin, which was recovered in the ALCELL process, an organosolv pulping process that uses ethanol-water as the delignifying agent. Films of blends with up to 10% wt ALCELL lignin, prepared in absence of commercial stabilizers, had acceptable mechanical strengths. The effect of lignin on biodegradability of the composite films was examined by comparison of behaviour of both pure and lignin containing films during treatment with fungus Phanerochaete chrysosporium. It was found that this fungus is able to grow and to produce lignolytic enzymes in the presence of the films containing lignin. Biodegradation of lignin in the composite film was confirmed by the releasing of lignin fragments into the extracellular fluid. Because of measurement of mechanical properties offers a mean of direct estimation of polymer degradation, the degree of biodegradation of the films tested was followed by monitoring of elongation at break. The changes of break at elongation in the course of enzymatic treatment revealed that the lignin/PP composite films are potentially environmentally nonpersisting. The micrographs of the lignin containing films obtained by scanning electron microscopy show the significant changes of the film surface upon degradation with Phanerochaete chrysosporium in contrast to unchanged lignin free film.
- Research Organization:
- National Renewable Energy Lab., Golden, CO (United States)
- OSTI ID:
- 140241
- Report Number(s):
- NREL/CP--200-5768-Vol.2; CONF-9308106--Vol.2; ON: DE94000435
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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