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Enables Readers to Understand the What, Why, and How Behind Using Sustainable Plastics in Manufacturing Operations
The impact of 50 years of unbridled plastics production, use, and disposal is now becoming well known and documented. Plastics made from non-renewable petroleum and natural gas resources threaten the environment, human health, species maintenance, and the very life of the ocean. This book helps readers understand the ability of plastics to be sustainable and goes over the plastic products which have a lower carbon footprint, lower waste, and lower pollution.
The well-qualified author's unique perspective puts a special focus on comprehensive coverage of environmental impacts of plastics including Life Cycle Assessments (LCA) and sustainability strategies related to biobased plastics (e.g., corn), recycled plastics, and petroleum-based plastics. Other samples topics covered in the book include:
* End-of-life options for petroleum and biobased plastics including mechanical recycling, chemical recycling, and composting
* ASTM biodegradation standards for compost, marine, anaerobic digestion, and landfill environments
* Polymer processing, including injection molding, blow molding, extrusion, and compression molding
* Environmental data and coverage of petroleum plastics, sustainable composites, and new information on bio-based plastics
The book serves as an invaluable resource for plastics engineers, materials engineers, and all professionals in related disciplines looking to understand and apply the usage of sustainable plastics in many different types of manufacturing operations.
List of contents
Acknowledgements xv
1 Introduction to Sustainability 1
1.1 Sustainability Definition 1
1.1.1 Societal Impacts of Sustainability 3
1.1.2 Economic Impacts of Sustainability 4
1.1.3 Environmental Impacts of Sustainability 5
1.2 Green Chemistry Definitions 6
1.3 Green Engineering Definitions 8
1.4 Sustainability Definitions for Manufacturing 9
1.5 Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) 11
1.6 Lean and Green Manufacturing 11
1.7 Summary 11
References 12
2 Environmental Issues 15
2.1 The Planet Is Warming 15
2.2 Melting of Glaciers 19
2.3 Rising Seas 21
2.4 Causes of Global Warming 23
2.4.1 Increased Greenhouse Gases 23
2.4.2 Sources of CO2eq Emissions 23
2.4.3 Anti-Warming Theory 28
2.5 Ocean Pollution and Marine Debris 28
2.5.1 Plastic Marine Debris 30
2.5.1.1 Persistent Organic Pollutants 33
2.5.2 Worldwide Coastal Cleanup 34
2.5.3 US Coastal Cleanup 41
2.6 Chemical Pollution from Plastics 42
2.7 Landfill Trash 43
2.8 Summary 49
References 50
3 Life Cycle Information 57
3.1 Life Cycle Assessment for Environmental Hazards 57
3.2 Life Cycle Assessment Definitions 58
3.2.1 LCA Step 1: Goal and Scope Development 58
3.2.2 LCA Step 2: LCI Development 59
3.2.3 LCA Step 3: LCA Development 60
3.2.4 LCA Step 4: Interpretation of Results 60
3.3 ISO 14040/14044 Life Cycle Assessment Standards 61
3.4 Sensitivity Analysis 62
3.5 Minimal Acceptable Framework for Life Cycle Assessments 64
3.6 Life Cycle Inventory for Petroleum-Based Plastics 65
3.6.1 LCI for PET Pellets 65
3.6.2 LCA Sensitivity Analysis 67
3.6.3 LCA for PET, GPPS, HDPE, and PP Pellets 67
3.7 Life Cycle Assessment for Biobased Poly Lactic Acid 67
3.7.1 LCA Sensitivity Analysis 69
3.8 Summary 70
Chapter 3 70
LCI for PLA 70
LCI for PLA 71
LCI for PLA 71
References 72
4 Bio-Based and Biodegradable Plastics 75
4.1 Bio-Based Plastics Definition 75
4.2 Bagasse 76
4.3 Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) 77
4.4 Polylactic Acid (PLA) 82
4.5 Thermoplastic Starch (TPS) 85
4.6 Petroleum-Based Compostable Polymers 88
4.6.1 Ecoflex 88
4.6.2 Poly-epsilon-Caprolactone, (PCL) 89
4.6.3 Poly(Butylene Succinate) (PBS) 90
References 91
Websites 92
5 Bio-Based and Recycled Petroleum-Based Plastics 95
5.1 Bio-Based Conventional Plastics 95
5.1.1 Bio-Based Polyethylene 98
5.1.1.1 Composition 98
5.1.1.2 Chemistry 98
5.1.1.3 Mechanical Properties 99
5.1.1.4 Life Cycle Assessment for Bio-Based Polyethylene 100
5.1.2 Bio-Based Polypropylene 101
5.1.2.1 Composition 101
5.1.2.2 Chemistry 101
5.1.2.3 Mechanical Properties 102
5.1.3 Bio-Based Ethylene Vinyl Acetate 103
5.1.4 Bio-Based Polyethylene Terephthalate 103
5.1.4.1 Composition 103
5.1.4.2 Chemistry 104
5.1.4.3 Mechanical Properties 104
5.1.4.4 LCA of Bio-Based PET 106
5.2 Recycled Petroleum-Based Plastics 106
5.2.1 Mechanical Recycling 108
5.2.1.1 Plastics Mechanical Recycling Process 109
5.2.2 California Plastics Recycling 111
5.2.3 Society of Plastics Industry Recycling Codes 112
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About the author
Joseph P. Greene, PhD, is Professor Emeritus in the Mechanical and Mechatronic Engineering and Sustainable Manufacturing Department at California State University, Chico. He received a Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering in 1993 from the University of Michigan. Joe began teaching at California State University, Chico in 1998 after a 14-year career with General Motors Corporation in Detroit, Michigan. His research interests include bio-based and biodegradable polymers, recycled plastics, marine biodegradation testing, and anaerobic digestion.
