Plastic: Friend or Enemy

Plastic: Friend or Enemy

Plastic as we know it, has been our good friend for many years, so far it has allowed us:

- move faster (tires, cars, trains, planes, ...) - eat healthier, (protective packaging, food hygiene, ready-made food, disposable cups ....), - dress with warm, light and protective fabrics (replacement or integration of natural fibers) - greater safety in hospitals and operating rooms (disposable syringes, blister packs for medicines, blood bags, .....)     ..... Continue to read

La CO2, anidride carbonica

La CO₂, anidride carbonica (o biossido di carbonio) è un gas naturale, naturalmente presente nell'aria che respiriamo, ma come ogni altra cosa in natura l'eccesso fa male anzi molto male.

La CO₂ (anidride carbonica o biossido di carbonio) è un gas inerte, inodore ed incolore, naturalmente presente in atmosfera in concentrazioni limitate.   Continua a leggere

Is the Bioplastics the solution to plastic pollution problem?

Bioplastics maybe be a part of the solutions to reduce plastic pollution in the environment. A lot of things must be done if we re ally want to reduce plastic in our seas, bioplastics could be part of the game only if we know them and we use them correctly.                                                                         Despite its name, bioplastics are not ipso facto a sustainable solution. You might expect bioplastic objects to dissolve down, when disposed of in your compost heap, or to at least to have a lower carbon footprint, but it might surprise you to find out these expectations aren’t necessarily true. Before to start to consider the bioplastics the panacea for all problems created by the plastic you have to pay attention to following 6 points:  Continue to read

The other side of the Trade War: The Waste War.

                                                         We are at the end of 2019 ...

and the international media speak only of Trade War, of duties and possible economic repercussions on global trade. But the so-called Trade War between US and China goes beyond the duties, imposed by the Trump administration. Far from the spotlight is there another war between superpower countries: Waste War. Yes, you have understood correctly: we are talking about the garbage, mountains of plastic and cardboard scraps that western countries produce and they are able only partially to recycle.  Continue to read

Crystallization and nucleation of semi-crystalline polymers

A Small review on what is a crystal, what is a semi-crystalline polymer, what is the influence of nucleating agents on the crystallization process of polymers. And a non-exhaustive list of which are the commercial available nucleating agents.  Continue to read 

PLASTIC: Problem or Resource

Since the 1930s, around 8 billion tons of plastic have been produced, of which only 2 billion have been recovered in the last 20 years (recycled). Leaving about 6 billion tons in the environment. These numbers tell us that we are fast approaching an environmental catastrophe, which leads to the death of thousands of living beings literally suffocated or starved to death (stomach clogged), or made sick (read human beings in whose organism micro plastics accumulate, ... in the lungs, stomach, intestine liver, …). Considering an apparent density of less than 0.1 Kg / m3 this amount can be visualized as a cube of side 40 Km. Another way to visualize this quantity is to imagine the Po valley completely covered with plastic up to a height equal to the Cervino mountain.  continue to read 

How strange is the world of biodegradable and compostable plastics

This post is more like a request to help me to understand the reality that surrounds us.

It is aimed at an audience, the Linkedin subscribers, with big knowledge and skills in this the specific sector.

 The old continent, better the Europeans people pare certainly the first to have understood that one of the methods to reduce the negative impact of the packaging on the environment is to use biodegradable and compostable materials for the latter.  

In fact, in the case of "involuntary" release into the environment of manufacture goods made of biodegradable and compostable materials within a maximum of 5 years they are transformed into carbon dioxide, water and humus.  In the case of traditional plastics (polyethylene, polypropylene, polyethylene terephthalate, ... they are required between 1000-5000 years, in addition, after a few years the latter tend to fragment into very small and degradation-resistant particles that enter the food chain passing from plankton to humans with damage  still all to study and understand.

 Everything good?  Not so if we consider the fact that these new materials (biodegradable and compostable) such as PLA, PBAT, PBST, PBS, (starch), .... are produced in minimal part here in Europe and therefore it is necessary to import them or from America  or from Asia.

 Except for the starch obtained either from the maize or from the potatoes the other products (real polymers) are usually purchased outside Europe.

 The PLA consumption forecast in 2019 is approximately 75,000 tons; the installed capacity in Europe is about 5,000 tons.

 The PBAT, and the PBST consumption expected in 2019 is approximately 175,000; the installed production capacity in Europe is about 170,000. Of this capacity 100.000 is only for captive use (Novamont).

 The PBS consumption forecast for 2019 50,000 ton; the installed production capacity in Europe is (?)

According to this data, today in Europe compared to a requirement of about 300,000 tons, about 125,000 tons of basic materials are missing.

For the compounding capacity, that is the transformation process that starting from the single raw materials PLA, PBAT, PBST, PBS, (starch) ... for obtains materials ready for use, there are no shortcomings.

 The numbers reported are the result of at least two years of dialogues with the various producers, readings of articles, .... and professional interest (myself working in the compounding company for biodegradable biodegradable materials for over 15 years).

I would like the data I reported to be supplemented, modified and why not upset if it is incorrect.
Thanks in advance to all those who will want to comment on my post.