Plastics and Environmental Sustainability

Survey's the issues typically raised in discussions of
sustainability and plastics

• Discusses current issues not covered in detail previously such
  as ocean litter, migration of additives into food products and the
  recovery of plastics

• Covers post-consumer fate of plastics on land and in the
  oceans, highlighting the environmental impacts of disposal
  methods

• Details toxicity of plastics, particularly as it applies to
  human health

• Presents a clear analysis of the key plastic-related issues
  including numerous citations of the research base that supports and
  contradicts the popularly held notions

Auteur

Anthony L. Andrady, PhD, is an Adjunct Professor of Chemical and
Biomolecular Engineering at the North Carolina State University. An
accomplished Polymer Scientist, Dr. Andrady has published over a
hundred original research papers and book chapters on
Polymers. He is a Fellow of both the Royal Society of
Chemistry and the National College of Rubber Technology (London,
England). Dr. Andrady edited Plastics and the Environment
(Wiley, 2003) and authored Science and Technology of
Polymer Nanofibers (Wiley, 2007).

Résumé

Survey's the issues typically raised in discussions of sustainability and plastics

• Discusses current issues not covered in detail previously such as ocean litter, migration of additives into food products and the recovery of plastics
• Covers post-consumer fate of plastics on land and in the oceans, highlighting the environmental impacts of disposal methods
• Details toxicity of plastics, particularly as it applies to human health
• Presents a clear analysis of the key plastic-related issues including numerous citations of the research base that supports and contradicts the popularly held notions

Contenu

Preface xiii

Acknowledgments xvii

List of Plastic Materials xix

1 The Anthropocene 1

1.1 Energy Futures 6

1.1.1 Fossil Fuel Energy 8

1.1.1.1 Oil 8

1.1.1.2 Coal 9

1.1.1.3 Gas 10

1.1.1.4 Nuclear Energy 11

1.1.2 Renewable Energy 12

1.1.2.1 Wind Energy 12

1.1.2.2 Solar Energy 13

1.1.2.3 Solar Biomass Energy 13

1.2 Materials Demand in the Future 14

1.2.1 Materials of Construction 15

1.2.2 Metal Resources 16

1.2.3 Critical Materials 18

1.2.4 Plastic Materials 19

1.3 Environmental Pollution 22

1.3.1 Classifying Pollution Impacts 23

1.3.2 Climate Change and Global Warming 24

References 27

2 A Sustainability Primer 31

2.1 The Precautionary Principle 33

2.1.1 Objectives in Sustainability 35

2.2 Microeconomics of Sustainability: The Business Enterprise 36

2.3 Models on Implementing Sustainability 38

2.4 Life Cycle Analysis 41

2.5 The Emerging Paradigm and the Plastics Industry 44

2.5.1 Examples from Plastics Industry 47

2.5.1.1 Using the Minimum Energy Needed to Manufacture Products 47

2.5.1.2 Using the Energy Mix with a Minimal Environmental Footprint 47

2.5.1.3 Recovering Waste Process Energy for Reuse 48

2.5.1.4 Using Only as Much Material as Is Needed to Ensure Functionality 48

2.5.1.5 Using More of Renewable and Recycled Raw Materials 48

2.5.1.6 Reusing and Recycling Postuse Products 49

2.5.1.7 Minimizing Externalities at Source: Green Chemistry 49

2.5.1.8 Avoiding Toxic Components and Potential Hazards Associated with Products and Processes 50

2.5.1.9 Converting the Pollutants into Resources 50

References 51

3 An Introduction to Plastics 55

3.1 Polymer Molecules 56

3.1.1 Size of Polymer Molecules 57

3.2 Consequences of Long-Chain Molecular Architecture 59

3.2.1 Molecular Weight of Chain Molecules 59

3.2.2 Tacticity 61

3.2.3 Partially Crystalline Plastics 62

3.2.4 Chain Branching and Cross-Linking 63

3.2.5 Glass Transition Temperature 66

3.3 Synthesis of Polymers 67

3.3.1 Addition or Chain Growth Reaction 68

3.3.2 Condensation or Step Growth Reaction 69

3.3.3 Copolymers 72

3.4 Testing of Polymers 72

3.4.1 Tensile Properties 73

3.4.2 Thermal Properties: DSC (Differential Scanning Calorimetry) 74

3.4.3 Thermal Properties: TGA 76

3.5 Common Plastics 76

3.5.1 Polyethylenes 77

3.5.2 Polypropylenes 78

3.5.3 Polystyrene 78

3.5.4 Poly(vinyl chloride) 80

References 81

4 Plastic Products 83

4.1 Plastics: The Miracle Material 84

4.2 Plastic Production, Use, and Disposal 88

4.2.1 From Resin to Products 90

4.2.1.1 Resin Manufacture 90

4.2.1.2 Compounding 90

4.2.1.3 Processing into Product 91

4.3 Processing Methods for Common Thermoplastics 91

4.3.1 Injection Molding 91

4.3.2 Extrusion 95

4.3.3 Blow Molding 95

4.4 The Environmental Footprint of Plastics 97

4.4.1 Energy Considerations in Resin Manufacture 98

4.4.2 Atmospheric Emissions from Plastics Industry 101

4.5 Plastics Additives 103

4.5.1 Fillers for Plastics 106

4.5.2 Plasticizers in PVC 106

4.6 Biopolymer or Bio-Derived Plastics 107

4.6.1 Bio-Based Plastics and Sustainability 109

4.6.2 Emerging Bio-Based Plastics 111

4.6.2.1 Bio-PE 112

4.6.2.2 Bio-PET 112

4.6.2.3 PLA 113

4.6.2.4 Poly(Hydroxyalkanoates) 115

4.6.2.5 Bio-Based Thermosets: PU 116

References 116 **5 Societal Benefits of Plastics 121</b...