Introducción
Biodegradable plastics son materiales poliméricos diseñados para ser descompuestos por microorganismos en agua, dióxido de carbono o metano, y biomasa bajo condiciones específicas, en lugar de persistir indefinidamente en el medio ambiente. La categoría es técnica y comercialmente amplia: incluye biodegradable plastics de base biológica elaborados a partir de materias primas renovables, así como algunos plásticos petroquímicos formulados para biodegradarse mediante additives seleccionados o químicas de polímeros específicas.
En la práctica industrial, el término se utiliza a menudo junto con, pero no de forma intercambiable con, plásticos compostables, que deben biodegradarse dentro de condiciones y plazos de compostaje definidos. Esta distinción importa porque la biodegradación depende en gran medida de la estructura del polímero, el entorno, la temperatura, la humedad, la disponibilidad de oxígeno, la actividad microbiana y la ruta de eliminación.
Biodegradable plastics ocupan un nicho importante en envases, agricultura, bienes de consumo y aplicaciones médicas y especializadas seleccionadas, aunque siguen siendo controvertidos porque su rendimiento ambiental puede mejorar o empeorar según la gestión al final de su vida útil. Su desarrollo refleja un esfuerzo más amplio de la industria de los plásticos para reducir los residuos persistentes, pero la evidencia actual muestra que la degradación incompleta, la formación de microplásticos, la lixiviación química y las emisiones de metano en sistemas de eliminación mal controlados siguen siendo preocupaciones significativas.
Historia y desarrollo
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