BIOX
Biodegradable Additives
Replacing plastic products with alternatives is challenging, especially where no viable alternatives exist. The energy and resource efficiency of plastic production compared to other materials like glass or metal makes it a more sustainable choice. Plastics are also used in medical applications and food packaging because they can be easily sterilized and protect contents from contamination. While plastic waste is a major environmental concern, banning plastics altogether may lead to unintended consequences. Therefore, rather than outright banning plastics, efforts should be made to develop new, sustainable polymers and recycling technologies.
BioX is a Biodegradable Additive. The active components of BioX facilitate the degradation of the polyolefins in Aerobic and Anaerobic conditions, converting it into functionalized fragments. This additive can be used in low concentrations as organo soluble substance to enhance the biodegradability of polyolefins, making single-use plastics environmentally friendly and easier to dispose off.
BioX complies with following standards:
- ASTM D 6954 (Aerobic Biodegradation & Soil Germination)
- ISO 19679 (In Process- Aerobic Biodegradation in Seawater)
- IS/ISO 17899 (In Process- Anaerobic Biodegradation)
- Microplastic testing (At Intertek Wilton lab)
- Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) (Environment Impact)
- 21 CFR US FDA (Food Safety Standard)
- RoHS – EN71 Part 3 (Heavy Metals Standard)
BioX is compatible with Polyolefins only. The most common use for biodegradable Additives is plastic bags, such as shopping bags, garbage bags, single-use plastic items, multilayer packaging, etc. Because of their lightweight, these objects are difficult to recycle. Littering of these goods is to blame for the global plastic crisis, and using biodegradable Additives is the best way to address the problem with an impact of less than Rs 5 per kg of polymer.
How does BioX work?
Aerobic Degradation- When a polymer containing carbonyl groups is exposed to light, the carbonyl groups undergo Norrish Type 1 cleavage, resulting in the formation of free radicals along the polymer chain. These free radicals can then react with surrounding oxygen to initiate a chain scission reaction, leading to the breakdown of the polymer chain. Reduces molecular weight of polymer from 2.5 lac daltons to less than 5000 daltons which is maximum.
Anaerobic Degradation- Along with actives, other components of the BioX Additive initiate the degradation in the presence of moisture and soil bacteria. When polymer film having BioX additive is exposed to UV/light, carbonyl groups are produced. These carbonyl groups are attacked by microorganisms which degrades the polymer chain to shorter segments of polyethylene chain. These chains are converted into functional group fragments and form CO2 and H2O as end product.
Unique features
- Aids plastic degradation in both Aerobic & Anaerobic conditions
- Reduces the Methane emission during degradation
- Does not allow formation of microplastics
- Does not impact marine life
- Does not impact soil quality or germination
- Complies with international test standards
- Cost impact- upto 6-7 cents per kg of plastic
- Applied for Indian Patent
