Biodegradation studies of LDPE filled with biodegradable additives: Morphological changes. I

Low-density polyethylene (LDPE) samples filled with three commercial biodegradable additives (Mater-Bi, Cornplast, and Bioefect) have been subjected to an accelerated soil burial test in a culture oven for 1 year. By means of Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC), the effect of the degradation in soil in the samples morphology has been analyzed, in terms of their melting temperature, their crystalline content, and their lamellar thickness distribution. These morphological parameters evolve in different stages, depending on the additive used. It has been found that the LDPE-Mater-Bi samples are the ones exhibiting faster changes in their crystalline content. However, the LDPE blends with Cornplast and Bioefect display more significant changes in their lamellar thickness distribution. (C) 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.