Investigation of degradation of polypropylene in soil using an enzymatic additive

Polypropylene (PP) has been widely used industrially in several sectors, mainly in the use of packaging of different products. Thus, this has been accumulated in our environment due to the incorrect disposal and its high resistance toward degradation, causing an array of environmental impacts. With this, one alternative that has been explored to minimize the problems intensified by these residues is the use of pro-degrading additives. Therefore, the aim of this work is to evaluate the degradation process of PP blends in soil using enzymatic additive. The soil degradation experiment was done for 6 months; monthly collected samples were checked for alterations on the material properties during that time. The extent of PP degradation with enzymatic additive was compared to an organic additive by techniques of FTIR, TGA, DSC, carbonyl index (CI), and crystallinity. From the obtained results it was observed that the additives influenced the degradation of PP. In addition, the enzymatic additive caused more significant changes in the CI (increase of 3693%), crystallinity (variation of 18.7%), and structural characteristics, indicating a greater influence on the degradation process in relation to the organic additive. In this way, this work has had an important role in the research and development of biodegradable materials with the aim of minimizing the effects induced by plastic waste in the environment.