Comparative assessment of marine weathering of ROP-derived biopolymers against conventional plastics

Bio-based plastics were designed to replace single-use and cause less post-consumer environmental damage. This paper assesses the weathering of four bio-based polymers created by ring opening polymerization (ROP) promoted a previously reported Ti-based catalyst, detect any problems before production was scaled up. Samples aged in seawater identify degradation products monitor structural changes. Surfaces evidenced range leaching observed. Aside from compounds used preparation (i.e. residual monomers benzyl alcohol), included carboxylic acids (often found plastic leachate), oxacyclohexadecan-2-one (potentially toxic aquatic life) triphenylmethane (potential carcinogen). Overall, there fewer changes fossil fuel based polymer (PS) commercially available studied for comparison purposes than lab polymers.