Behavior of Polyethylene Films in Soil

Authors

  • Viktória Vargha
    Affiliation
    Budapest Universityof Technology and Economics
  • Gabriella Rétháti
    Affiliation
    Szent István University H-2103 Gödöllő, Páter K. str. 1. Hungary
  • Tamás Heffner
    Affiliation
    Budapest University of Technology and Economics H-1521 Budapest, P.O.B. 91
  • Krisztina Pogácsás
    Affiliation
    Szent István University H-2103 Gödöllő, Páter K. str. 1.
  • László Korecz
    Affiliation
    Research Center of Natural Sciences, Hungarian Academy of Sciences H-1117 Budapest, Magyar tudósok körútja 2.
  • Zsolt László
    Affiliation
    TVK, Member of the MOL group H-3581 Tiszaújváros Pf. 20.
  • Imre Czinkota
    Affiliation
    Szent István University H-2103 Gödöllő, Páter K. str.
  • László Tolner
    Affiliation
    Szent István University H-2103 Gödöllő, Páter K. str. 1.
  • Ottó Kelemen
    Affiliation
    Qualchem Zrt., H-2072 Zsámbék Új Gyártelep
https://doi.org/10.3311/PPch.8281

Abstract

A true-to life experiment on the behaviour of polyethylene films in soil was carried out. Commercial middle density polyethylene (MDPE) film, MDPE films containing pro-oxidative additives and thermoplastic starch and a commercially available biodegradable film (Ecovio, BASF) have been buried in soil and monitored monthly for one year. Bags made out of the films were filled with and surrounded with brown forest soil and electrodes were put into the soil inside the bag and into the soil surrounding the bag. The soil served as capacitor. Degradation could be monitored weekly by measuring the capacity and conductivity of the soil without removing the bags from it. Visual, mechanical (Instron), structural (FTIR, ESR) and morphological (POM, SEM) changes in the films and the change in molecular mass were tested monthly. The polyethylene films suffered only some physical degradation and not biodegradation. Our life-like experiments suggest that biopacking will be the future of plastics waste disposal.

Keywords:

polyethylene film, degradation in soil, material testing

Citation data from Crossref and Scopus

Published Online

2015-12-16

How to Cite

Vargha, V., Rétháti, G., Heffner, T., Pogácsás, K., Korecz, L., László, Z. “Behavior of Polyethylene Films in Soil”, Periodica Polytechnica Chemical Engineering, 60(1), pp. 60–68, 2016. https://doi.org/10.3311/PPch.8281

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Section

Articles