Under natural conditions, how long does the biodegradable plastic degrade?
The degradation time of biodegradable plastics is related to the natural conditions and the structure and formula of the plastics, which cannot be generalized. If natural conditions do not provide some suitable conditions for microbial growth or life activities, the degradation of biodegradable plastics and even natural polymers such as paper, straw, wood, etc. will be relatively slow. When we go to the suburbs, forests or mountains, the degradation will be relatively slow. It is also true that some branches, wood or paper on the sandy soil have not been degraded by the environment for a long time.
According to the demonstration application of biodegradable mulch made of PBAT material in the past 5 years, it can be completely degraded in 4~5 months. In actual film application, even if the crop is not fully degraded at the time of harvest, it will be degraded after plowing. Can be completely degraded.
Materials like PHA and PBAT can be completely degraded in about 30-60 days under the condition of seawater and (25±3)℃. The observation photos of the specific experimental process can be seen in the figure below.
