Systematic investigations on the biological degradability of packing material I. On the actual biological degradability of so-called biodegradable polymer films [German]

摘要

A discussion of the various interpretations in the literature with respect to the definition of good biodegradability and the results of comparative, quantitative experimental investigations on the biodegradability of packaging films of the group of so called biodegradable polymers are given. The modified Sturm test [1] and the closed-bottle test [2] were used for this purpose and are compared. Both methods give results concerning the kinetics of the biodegradability of the substrates tested under standardized conditions and, in addition, are complementary, allowing predictions on the elimination efficiency of normal sewage treatment plants for such substrates [1, 3]. A discussion of a systematic pattern resulting from correlations of biodegradability and chemical structure resp. properties of the substrates is given as well as a short survey of the comparative relevancy of the results of other test methods on other plastics materials which are called biodegradable. [References: 51]