"Ashes to ashes, dust to plastic

Ashes to ashes, dust to the plastic

recycling, Cenere alla cenere, polvere alla plastica An additive could quickly make degradable plastic bags made of polyethylene and polypropylene.
A bag degrades to 90 percent in two weeks.

Norwegian Sintef of researchers have developed an additive that allows the rapid degradation of polyethylene and polypropylene, two plastic which are extremely popular, used in thin sheets for the production of bags for shopping.

These plastics are sensitive to ultraviolet rays, but because their degradation process begins must pass at least one year. The new additive makes the material too sensitive to the spectrum of visible light and in the presence of a po 'heat, moisture and oxygen - say members of the industry - a bag degrades at the same speed as an apple thrown to the ground in presence a weak sun, 90 percent is degraded in two weeks in 5 weeks and can detect only small traces.

The process of decomposition takes place in several stages. With exposure, the light can break the long plastic molecules into smaller fragments that can be digested by microorganisms.

The unique opportunity that brought the Norwegian company to the synthesis of the All Party is the request that was addressed to by a home funeral, which aspired to a plastic collar to support the package of remains that prepared to deteriorate perfectly and without leaving traces of color antiestetico at the time of revival. A first solution obtained by Sintef had been economically very expensive, but subsequent improvements in manufacturing processes have led to a solution that could be interesting even for a much broader market.

Source: http://www.lescienze.it/index.php3?id=12435