6th Annual Judith Ramaley Celebration of Research and Creative Scholarship
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Poster #39 How fast do Biodegradable Plastics really Degrade?
Sarah Fraser
Faculty Mentor: Jeanne Franz
The purpose of this study was to determine a way to measure the extent of degradation of decomposable biopolymers in common plastic products to be used in the Analytical Chemistry curriculum. All tests that measure degradation changes of polymers such as changes in molecular weight require the polymer to dissolve prior to analysis. Several commercial biopolymers, Bag to Nature plastic bags, Bare by Solo plastic cups, and Greenware plastic cups, were dissolved in solvents of various polarities to determine the best solvent for dissociation. The biopolymer in Bag to Nature and Bare by Solo were both polylactic acid (PLA), Greenware was a natural corn polymer designed by the company Fabri-Kal. Preliminary results indicate that Greenware may be the most soluble of the biopolymers tested. Further analysis will be done with this product, such as titration or fluorimetry to determine the molecular weight of the polymer and polymer characterization. Upon completion, this laboratory exercise will be introduced into the Analytical Chemistry curriculum as a way for students to learn Green Chemistry. |
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