Distribution of Anaerobic Bacteria that Degrade Poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) (PHB).

Japanese researchers plotted the sedimentary distribution of anaerobic bacteria that degrade PHB. The researchers inoculated anaerobic enrichment cultures containing fibrous PHB with 102 samples of bacteria that were collected from 17 sampling points througout the southern part of the lbaraki prefecture and the northern part of the Chiba ..

Properties and Applications of Mater-Bi, a Cellulose Based Biodegradable Polymer.

Nippon Chemical recely introduced Mater-By, a biodegradable polymer alloty derived from cellulose and modified polyvinyl alcohol (PVA). ASTM tests of shopping bags fabricated from Mater-Bi revealed 91 percent of the polymer alloy biochemically deteriorated into compost after a period 313 days. The cellulose component degraded at a rate 10..

Change in the Physical Properties of Polybutylene Terephthalate (PBT) Mixed with Recycled Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET).

A feasibility study of the recyclability of PET used samples of silicone resin treated PET films removed from electronic components. After recycling, the films were mixed with PBT. Of the two recycling processes tested, one produced semimolten flakes and the other produced pellets by melting the crushed film. It was possible to mix the fl..

Degradation Rates of Biodegradable Plastics.

Researchers used various methods to measure the degradation rates of two biodegradable plastics: Mater-Bi, a biodegradable polymer alloy derived from cellulose and modified polyvinyl alcohol; and pclycaprolactione (PCL). The researchers buried Mater-Bi and PCL samples for periods ranging from 1 to 30 days in soils that had been taken from..

Waste Reductions Strategies Prevent Pollution and More.

The most important incentives for a company to implement waste reduction are the conservation of resources, protection of the environment, reduction of liability, compliance with regulations, and improvement of its public image. Waste reduction generally leads to significant return on investment. Industrial Laundries are able to reduce wa..

American Textile Manufacturers Institute (ATMI) Survey Shows Textile Recycling Has Doubled in Five Years.

According to a recent ATMI survey of 348 textile mills and manufacturing facilities, the United States textile industry doubled its solid waste recyclig capability during the past five years. In 1988, 23 percent of solid waste was recycled, with 70 percent sent to landfils; in 1992, 43 percent of solid waste was recycled, 39 percent sent ..

Effects of Proposed and New Legislation on Effluent Discharge to Industry. Part 2. Effluent Treatment, Reuse, and Recycling.

Environmental law in New Zealand, especially regulations concerning effiuent discharge, has undergone substantial reform in recent years. Regulatory restraints and the cost savings realized through waste minimization, waste segregation, and waste recycling and reuse encouraged New Zealand's carpet industry to examine closely its waste tre..

Options for the Textile Ecolabel.

European Commission (EC) planners recently proposed eco-label criteria that are based on a cradle to grave approach: assessments of the environmental impact of an industrially produced item would include the provenance of its raw mateials, the energy used in its manufacture, and the cost of its disposal or recycling. Many textile manufact..

Sterol Biosynthesis Inhibitor (SBI) Use as Fungicide Shuld Increase.

Growth in the market for SBI fungicides has been strong since the first SBI, a substitute pyrimidine, was introduced in 1973. A variety of compounds have SBI activity, including piperazines, pyimidines, pyridines, morpholines, allylamines, imidazoles, and 1,2,4-triazoles. Many act by blocking cytochrome P-450, which aids in the removal of..

Biodegradability of Flexible Polyurethane Foams.

Researchers used a soil burial method to assess the biodegradability of flexible polyurethane foams. Samples measuring 1x5x5 centimeters were buried in two test fields for periods that ranged from 1 to 12 months. Results indicated that the biodegradability of ester based polyurethane foams was greater than that of ether based polyurethane..