Effect of electron beam treatments on degradation kinetics of polylactic acid (PLA) plastic waste under backyard composting conditions |
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| Authors: | L Fernando Vargas Bruce A Welt Pratap Pullammanappallil Arthur A Teixeira Murat O Balaban Charles L Beatty |
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| Affiliation: | 1. Agricultural & Biological Engineering Department, University of Florida, PO Box 110570, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA;2. Materials Sciences and Engineering Department, University of Florida, PO Box 116400, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA |
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| Abstract: | The effects of electron beam irradiation on backyard composting behaviour of polylactic acid (PLA) polymer were evaluated. Samples (10 mm2 × 0.75 mm) from thermoformed PLA drinking cups were exposed to 10 MeV electron beam irradiation at doses of 0, 72, 144 and 216 kGy. Irradiated PLA samples were placed in heat‐sealed, plastic screen and added to organic feedstock in a rotating composter within a computer‐controlled environmental chamber for 10 weeks at 35°C. Changes in weight, structural integrity and molecular weight were assessed over time. Results show that irradiation enhanced PLA breakdown. PLA weight decreased by increasing amounts as irradiation dose increased. Sample brittleness increased with irradiation dose and composting time. Finally, PLA molecular weight decreased as irradiation dose and compost time increased. Molecular weight D values for irradiated PLA were found to be about 430 kGy. After 1 week in a typical backyard composter, molecular weight D values increased to about 560 kGy and then fell to about 380 kGy after 2 weeks of composting. Samples irradiated at 216 kGy showed a reduction in weight of 9.4% after 10 weeks of composting, and a reduction of weight‐average molecular weight of 93.7% after 6 weeks. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. |
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| Keywords: | polylactic acid PLA irradiation compost digestion electron beam |
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