ABSTRACT
Degradable plastics are those polymers which contain materials which enhance these already existing but rather slow photo and oxidative degradation processes. Plastics made with the ECOSTAR system incorporate a starch which is modified to make the normally hydrophilic surface of the starch hydrophobic. Biodegradation is the breakdown of materials by the action of living organisms. Measurement of molecular weight distribution of polyethylene containing the additives compared to a control of the same base polymer. Degradation can be followed by measuring changes in physical properties of the product, by studying chemical changes in the film or by assessing biological activity. Soil burial tests can demonstrate the results of both the biological and oxidative degradation mechanisms. As the microorganisms remove the starch there is some physical damage to the polymer. Several different starches can be used. Although corn starch is the most readily available and widely used, rice starch can be used for products which require a fine particle size.
