THE PROMISE OF BIOPLASTICS

Transcription

1 THE PROMISE OF BIOPLASTICS Using biobased carbon content and end-of-life options (biodegradability-compostability & recycling) for sustainable packaging Ramani University Distinguished Professor Ramani, Biobased & Biodegradable Polymer Materials: Rationale, Drivers, and Technology Exemplars; ACS (an American Chemical Society publication) Symposium Ser. 1114, Chapter 2, pg 13-31, Ramani, Carbon footprint of bioplastics using biocarbon content analysis and life cycle assessment, MRS (Materials Research Society) Bulletin, Vol 36 Issue 09, pg , 2011 If you use any of the slides/materials, please reference authorship and affiliation (Ramani, Michigan State University) thank you Copyright Ramani

2 PACKAGING MATERIALS Packaging is also a very large consumer of materials Metals Aluminium Glass Paper and paperboard Wood Plastics Hybrid constructs: Plastics/polymeric materials + paper & paperboard Plastics/polymeric l i materials + metals 102 million tons (40%) of plastic resin production of 280 million tons used in packaging

3 MAJOR ISSUES FOR CARBON BASED PLASTICS USE Carbon footprint t material a carbon footprint t origin of the carbon in the product Biological carbon feedstock vs petro/fossil carbon feedstock Carbon footprint process carbon footprint arising from the conversion of feedstock to product process Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) methodology End of life what happens to the product after use when it enters the waste stream Recycling Biodegradability composting & anaerobic digestion Soil agriculture/horticulture films Misleading and Deceptive biodegradability/compostability claims BEWARE! SUSTAINABILITY Closed loop biological or chemical cycling cling of materials & nutrients driving to zero waste solutions

4 Basics of Material and Process Carbon Footprint -- Origins of the carbon MATERIAL CARBON FOOTPRINT PROCESS CARBON FOOTPRINT Naptha Natural gas Bio/renewable feedstock Crops & residues (e.g. Corn, soybean sugarcane) Tree plantations Lignocellulosics Algal biomass Plant Oils aromatics ethylene/propylene EtOH TPA BIO monomers EG sugars, C-18 & C-9 platform oils PLA, PHA s C O Polyethylene (PE) polypropylene (PP) H 2 C CH H 2 C CH 2 n CH 3 PE n CH C O CH 3 O PLA C O BIOPET n PP O CH 2 CH 2 O n

5 Carbon footprint reduction strategy using bio content What Value Proposition does Biobased Plastics offer? Switching from the petro/fossil carbon in plastics to biobased carbon provides a zero material carbon footprint [not process carbon footprint] carbon footprint equates to heat trapping CO 2 emissions which is implicated in global warming/climate change problems Using gplant/biomass feedstock as opposed to petro/fossil feedstock equates to energy/environmental security Equates to Economic development empowering rural farm, forestry and allied manufacturing industry 5

6 Carbon Understanding footprint reduction strategy the using Value bio content Proposition based on the origins of the carbon in the product -- biobased carbon vs petro/fossil carbon sunlight energy CO 2 +H 2 O (CH 2 O) X +O 2 photosynthesis 1-10 years Biomass, Ag & Forestry crops & residues NEW CARBON 1-10 years USE for materials, chemicals and fuels > 10 6 YEARS Fossil Resources (Oil, Coal, Natural gas) -- OLD CARBON Rate and time scales of CO 2 utilization is in balance using biobased/plant feedstocks ( years) as opposed to using fossil feedstocks Short (in balance) sustainable carbon cycle using bio based carbon feedstock MATERIAL CARBON FOOTPRINT Ramani, Carbon footprint of bioplastics using biocarbon content analysis and life cycle assessment, MRS (Materials Research Society) Bulletin, Vol 36 Issue 09, pg ,

7 Carbon emissions the problem

8 Carbon footprint reduction strategy using bio content Material Carbon Footprint What is the impact of the products material carbon footprint on the environment? Impact of the carbon s origins i in the product? Impact of manufacturing 100 Kg of PE and bio-pe or bio-pla in termsofkgofco 2 released from the origins of the carbon H 2 C CH n PE PET CH C O CH 3 O PLA n 8

9 Material Carbon Footprint 350 Kg of CO 2 per 100 Kg resin kg kg of of CO 22 emissions reduction for every 100 kg kg of of PE resin in in which the petro carbon is is replaced with bio carbon Experimentally determine using ASTM D6866 based on the principle of C-14 analysis ZERO CARBON FOOTPRINT 0 PE/PP PET Bio-PE/PET/PLA

10 Carbon footprint reduction strategy using content Measurement of bio (carbon) content an important and critical Standard for the bio industry 14 CO 2 Solar radiation 12 CO 2 C-14 signature forms the basis of Standard test method to quantify biobased content (ASTM D6866) Biomass ( 12 CH 2 O) 14 x ( CH 2 O) x NEW CARBON >10 6 years Cosmic radiation 14 N 14 C 14 CO 2 12 CO 2 Fossil Resources (petroleum, natural gas, coal) ( 12 CH 2 ) n ( 12 CHO) x OLD CARBON, ACS (an American Chemical Society publication) Symposium Ser.939, Chapter 18, pg 282, 2006;, MRS (Materials Research Society) Bulletin, Vol 36 Issue 09, pg ,

11 Process Carbon Footprint the LCA trap Kg of CO 2 released per 100 kg resin Process carbon footprint Material carbon footprint zero

12 CARBON FOOTPRINT Kg of CO2 per Kg of polymer cradle to factory gate Source: org

13 Courtsey: Braskem

14 For bottles: 37.5 MM tons PET used 17.2 MM tons CO 2 savings 40 million barrels of oil/yr savings

15 Courtesy Ford Motor Company +

16 Biobased & compostable PLA products

17 Carbon footprint reduction strategy using bio content Biodegradability A misused and abused term QUESTION Can microorganisms present in the disposal environment (soil, composting) utilize/assimilate the plastic carbon substrate the biotic process What extent t and in what time frame? Need complete microbial assimilation and removal from the environmental compartment in a short time period otherwise may have environmental and health consequences Degradable, partial biodegradable not acceptable serious health and environmental consequences Phil. Trans. Royal. Soc. (Biology) July 27, 2009; 364 Misleading and Deceptive biodegradability/compostability claims BEWARE! 17

18 Carbon footprint reduction strategy using bio content Basics of microbial utilization -- biodegradability Microorganisms utilize carbon substrates as food to extract chemical energy for their life processes. They do so by transporting to the C-substrate inside their cells and: Under aerobic conditions, the carbon is biologically oxidized to CO 2 releasing energy that is harnessed by the microorganisms for its life processes. Under anaerobic conditions, CO 2 +CH 4 are produced. Thus, a measure of the rate and amount of CO 2 or CO 2 +CH 4 evolved as a function of total carbon input to the process is a direct measure of the amount of carbon substrate being utilized by the microorganism (percent biodegradation) Glucose/C-bioplastic + 6 O 2 6 CO H 2 O; ΔG 0 = -686 kcal/mol Glucose/C-bioplastic 2 lactate; ΔG 0 = -47 kcal/mol CO 2 + CH 4 18

19 Carbon footprint reduction strategy using content Measuring biodegradability 100 ion to CO2 (% biodegrad dation) % C convers biodegradation degree level of biodegradation needed to claim safe and efficacious removal of the plastic carbon from the environmental compartment lag phase biodegradation phase plateau phase O 2 CO 2 Compost & Test Materials Time (days) ASTM D5338; ISO 14855; EN

20 Carbon footprint reduction strategy using bio content Biodegradability under composting conditions Specification Standards ASTM D6400, D6868 (coatings) Specification Standards EN (European Norm) Specification Standards ISO (International Standard) Biodegradability under marine environment Specification Standard D 7021 Biodegradability under soil environment ASTM under development 90% carbon assimilation by microorganism as measured by evolved CO2 in 2 years or less New set of ISO standard from ISO TC 122 SC4 Packaging & the Environment The standards address optimization of the packaging system, reuse, material recycling, energy recovery and composting, as well as the way these aspects of each package are related to each other before and after its use ISO Packaging & the environment Organic Recycling Ramani, Michigan State University 20

21 Carbon footprint reduction strategy using Biodegradability bio content Test Methods ASTM Soil D5988 Anaerobic digestors D 5511, ISO Biogas energy plant Accelerated landfill D 5526 Guide to testing plastics ASTM D 6954 ISO ISO 14852, Determination of the ultimate aerobic biodegradability of plastic materials in an aqueous medium Method by analysis of evolved carbon dioxide ISO 14853, Determination of the ultimate anaerobic biodegradability in an aqueous system Method by measurement of biogas production ISO 14855; Determination of the ultimate aerobic biodegradability of plastic materials under controlled composting conditions Part 1: Method by analysis of evolved carbon dioxide and Part 2: Gravimetric measurement of carbon dioxide evolved in a laboratoryscale test Must provide results from the test methods could be zero or 50 or 100 percent --- generally not provided but claim of complete biodegradability made Ramani, Michigan State University 21

22 Consequences of degradable plastics White Pollution CHINA

23 Colonized Plastic Particle becomes food for marine species and birds and transports absorbed toxins up the food chain Captain Charles Moore Algalita Marine Research Foundation

24 Carbon footprint reduction strategy using bio content Serious human health and environmental consequences of degradable and partially degradable plastics PCBs, DDE, and nonylphenols (NP) were detected in high concentrations in degraded polypropylene (PP) resin pellets collected from four Japanese coasts. Plastic residues function as a transport medium for toxic chemicals in the marine environment. Takada et al Environ. Sci. Technol. 2001, 35, Blight, L.K. & A.E. Burger Occurrence of plastic particles in seabirds from the Eastern North Pacific. Mar. Poll. Bull. 34: Phil. Trans. Royal. Soc. (Biology) July 27, 2009; 364 Ramani, Michigan State University 24

25 Sorting through facts, hypes, and misleading claims GREEN WASHING Additives (oxo or organic) added to polyethylene (PE) or polypropylene (PP) or polyethylene terephthalate (PET) or any polyolefin polymer will degrade the polymer to small fragments which will eventually biodegrade or biodegrade in 9 months to 5 years in soil, landfill Ramani, Michigan State University

26 Green Washing Claims -- Additive Technology Plastic products with our additives at 1% levels will fully biodegrade in 9 months to 5 years wherever they are disposed like composting, or landfills under both aerobic and anaerobic conditions The 50% Bio-Batch Batch film did not degrade as completely or as quickly as the cellulose. At the end of the test, 19% of the film had degraded. The results of the aerobic degradation tests indicate that, in time, plastics produced using Bio-Batch pellets will biodegrade in aerobic conditions. DATA DOES NOT SUPPORT THE CONCLUSIONS!

27 MISLEADING BIODEGRADABILITY CLAIMS

28 BIODEGRADABILITY CLAIMS Chem. Commun.,, 2002, (23), A hypothesis was developed, and successfully tested, to greatly increase the rates of biodegradation of polyolefins, by anchoring minute quantities of glucose, sucrose or lactose, PRESS onto functionalized polystyrene (polystyrene-co-maleic anhydride copolymer) and measuring their rates of biodegradation, which were found to be significantly improved Sugar turns plastics biodegradable. Bacteria make a meal of sweetened polythene and polystyrene. weight loss of only 2-12%, Only sugar is being assimilated, PE chain intact Is this a genuine example of biodegradable plastic?

29 For Biodegradability-compostability This forms the basis for all the ASTM, ISO and EN standards for measuring biodegradability. d bilit Claims of degradable, partially biodegradable, or eventually biodegradable are not acceptable, because it has been shown that these degraded fragments become toxin carriers and move up the food web. So, verifiable scientifically valid evidence from approved third part laboratory is needed to document complete biodegradability in a defined disposal system like composting or anaerobic digestion in a short time period using specified International Standards.

30 U.S. Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 (P. L ), 171), Title IX Energy, Section 9002 FARM BILL Federal Procurement of Biobased Products the biopreferred program ( develop guidelines for designating biobased products for federal procurement USDA Certified Biobased Product labeling gp program Includes: Definition, content verification, ASTM D6866 Biodegradability using ASTM D6400 and D6868 (paper coatings) D7021 (marine) performance requirements; and assurance that products are available

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