Degradation Rate 91.7%: Record Of 180 Day Soil Test For French Fries Box
In today's increasingly environmentally conscious society, the application of biodegradable materials has become a focus of attention. Recently, the 180 day soil degradation test results of a certain brand of French fries box have sparked industry discussions - its degradation rate is as high as 91.7%, far exceeding international standard requirements, providing strong evidence for the sustainable transformation of food packaging.
Test Design: Strictly follow international standards and simulate real environments
This test follows the ISO 14855-2018 standard and simulates a farmland environment in a constant temperature and humidity incubator: the temperature is set at 25 ± 2 ℃, the soil moisture is maintained at 60% of the field capacity, the pH value is 6.8 ± 0.2, and typical farmland microbial communities are added. The test sample is a standard size French fries box (180mm × 120mm × 50mm) made of PLA/PBAT blend modified bioplastic, with no chemical additives added to the surface.
Degradation process: from physical disintegration to molecular fission
30 days ago: Micro pores appeared on the surface of the sample, with a thickness reduction rate of 12%. Scanning electron microscopy showed that microbial colonies began to attach. 60-90 days: Entering the rapid degradation period, the quality loss rate exceeds 50%, the tensile strength decreases from the initial 32MPa to 15MPa, and the cumulative carbon dioxide release reaches 480mg/day, which is in line with the typical characteristics of biodegradable materials. After 120 days, the sample showed fragmentation, with an increase in porosity to 35 μ m ² and a peak protease activity of 8.2 U/mg, indicating vigorous microbial metabolic activity. Until 180 days: Only 8.3% of non degradable components (mainly inorganic fillers) remain. After infrared spectroscopy analysis, it was confirmed that the weight average molecular weight (Mw) of PLA decreased by 78%, and the carbonyl index (CI) increased to 0.65, indicating that the material has completely entered the end stage of degradation.
Ecological security: zero heavy metal precipitation, seed germination rate of 98%
Testing synchronous monitoring of soil environmental impact: The fluctuation of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium content is within ± 3%, and the concentrations of lead and cadmium are both below 0.05ppm, which meets the risk control values for agricultural land soil pollution in GB 36600-2018. More importantly, the germination rate of wheat seeds cultivated in degraded soil reached 98%, with no significant difference compared to the control group (95%), verifying the zero toxicity effect of the material on the ecosystem.
Industry Insights: Technological Breakthroughs Lead the Green Revolution
The excellent performance of this French fries box is attributed to material formula optimization and process innovation: by using nanoscale PBAT dispersion technology, the brittleness problem of PLA has been solved; The introduction of photosensitizers and starch inducers accelerated molecular chain breakage. Its degradation rate is 40% higher than traditional PLA materials, and the cost is controlled within 1.8 times that of ordinary plastics, with the potential for large-scale application.
This test not only provides a biodegradable packaging solution for the fast food industry, but also confirms the feasibility of the triple balance of "materials environment economy". With the refinement and implementation of national standards such as GB/T 19277.1-2011, biodegradable materials are moving from laboratories to households, contributing key forces to the goal of carbon neutrality.
Zhejiang Dongou Printing Industry Co.,Ltd, the expert in French fried box production
