“Renewability”

Joint Committee – Greener Chemical Products and Processes

March 12, 2010

Team Lead - Raymond Paulson

Outline

• Definitions

• Categories

• ASTM Standards

• Decision Criteria

• Placement in the Standard? (TBD)

Definitions• BIO-BASED MATERIALS

• Bio-based (Biomass or Renewable) based Materials – Organic material/s containing in whole or part biogenic carbon (carbon from biological sources)

• Organic Material/s – material (s) containing carbon based compound (s) in which the carbon is attached to other carbon atom (s), hydrogen, oxygen, or other elements in a chain, ring, or three dimensional structures (IUPAC nomenclature)

• Bio (carbon) Content - The bio content is based on the amount of biogenic carbon present, and defined as the amount of bio carbon in the plastic as fraction weight (mass) or percent weight (mass) of the total organic carbon in the plastic. (ASTM D6866)

• % Bio or Bio-based content = Bio (organic) carbon/total (organic carbon) * 100

Definitions• Bio-degradability (aerobic)

• (a) Composting environment (the first two are specification standards based on using D5338 test method to measure percent biodegradability)

• ASTM D6400 – Standard Specification for Compostable Plastics• ASTM D6868 – Standard Specification for biodegradable plastics used as coatings

on paper and other compostable plastics• ASTM D5338 – Standard test method for determining aerobic biodegradation of

plastic materials under controlled composting conditions• (b) Soil environment• ASTM D5988 -- Standard Test Method for Determining Aerobic Biodegradation in Soil

of Plastic Materials or Residual Plastic Materials After Composting• (c) Marine environment• ASTM D7081 – Standard Specification for non-floating biodegradable plastics in a

marine environment• ASTM D6691 – Standard Test Method for Determining Aerobic Biodegradation of

Plastic Materials in the Marine Environment by a Defined Microbial Consortium or Natural Sea Water

Definitions• Bio-degradability (anaerobic)

• (a) Anaerobic digester environment (biogas energy production)• ASTM D5511 – Standard Test Method for Determining Anaerobic

Biodegradation of Plastic Materials under High-Solids Anaerobic-Digestion Conditions

• (b) Landfill environment• ASTM D6776 -- Standard Test Method for Determining Anaerobic

Biodegradability of Radio-labeled Plastic Materials in a Laboratory-Scale Simulated Landfill Environment

• ASTM D5526 -- Determining Anaerobic Biodegradation of Plastic Materials under Accelerated Landfill Conditions

Categories

• Renewability Categories– Bio-based Organic Material

• “source characteristic” not an “effects characteristic”• fossil sources are not included

– Degradability

• Determined not to be a Renewability Category– Recovered Resource (Re-use)– Recycled Content Material

• Note: – Reuse and Recycle of waste chemicals– Chemical inputs as a recovered resource (reuse) or recycled content

• Greener Processes Addresses in MCE&WP Section

Categories

RENEWABILITY BIO-BASED MATERIALS CRITERIA

 

Bio-based Content = (Bio-Organic Materials) / (Bio + Non-Bio Organic Materials ) * 100 Bio-based Content

 BIO-DEGRADABILITY CRITERIA

 Bio-degradability (aerobic) and Compost Bio-degrade and Compost

 Biodegradability (aerobic) and marine Bio-degrade and marine

 Biodegradability (aerobic) and soil Bio-degrade and soil

 Bio-degradability (anaerobic) and anaerobic digesters Bio-degrade and anaerobic digesters

 Bio-degradability (anaerobic) and landfill* Bio-degrade and landfill

ASTM Standards

 

CRITERIA  ASTM STANDARD  

Bio-based Content   ASTM D6866  

 

CRITERIA  

  

ASTM STANDARD 

Bio-degrade and Compost   ASTM D6400, D6868, and D5338

Bio-degrade and marine   ASTM D7081  

Bio-degrade and soil   ASTM D5988  

Bio-degrade and anaerobic digesters   ASTM D5511  

Bio-degrade and landfill 

ASTM D5526 

Decision Criteria

  Answer either question 2 or 3 (mutually exclusive)  

1. Is there an established definition? Definable?

2. Is there a validated test? Measurable?

3. Is there a generally accepted methodology, calculation,

model? 4. Is the test / method commonly done?

(Y or N) (Y or N) (Y or N) (Y or N)

Y Y Y

Y Y Y

Example

• Bio-based Determination

• E.g. Ethanol – Fossil Source or a Bio-based Source

• Renewability Determination– ASTM D6866– Source of ethanol determined to be a bio-based source or a

fossil source with this ASTM test method

• Degradability Determination– Test Material with Appropriate ASTM test

methods

Current Issues

• How to incorporate into the Standard?– TBD

• What is the greener goal/purpose? (TBD)• Definitions

– There are generally accepted definitions– Spreadsheet created provides categories and ASTM test

methods that are well defined and commonly performed• Greener Metrics? (TBD)

• Plan– Renewability Team Continue to Meet to Resolve the

Above Current Issues

• QUESTIONS???