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Impact of hydrolytic degradation on mechanical properties of PET - Towards an understanding of microplastics formation
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Scientists studied how PET plastic (used in water bottles) breaks down when exposed to hot water over time, discovering that the plastic becomes brittle and cracks apart once its molecular chains get cut short enough, and once that happens, it takes very little force to shatter into tiny pieces. This research helps explain how large plastic waste in oceans breaks down into microplastics, which is a key step toward predicting and eventually reducing the tiny plastic particles that end up in our water, food, and bodies.
Ocean pollution by microplastics , i.e. small pieces of plastic of less than 5 mm, is one of the major concerns for the future of our planet. Secondary microplastics formation is due to fragmentation of macroplastic waste. This fragmentation can be attributed to environmental loadings such as waves, winds and tides, coupled with a change in mechanical properties of polymers induced by UV and seawater ageing. This study aims to characterize and understand changes in the mechanical behaviour of Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) induced by hydrolysis, especially for high degradation levels. Thin films (200 μm) of PET were aged in water at temperatures from 110 °C to 80 °C for up to 150 days. Embrittlement occurs with chain scission during hydrolysis when molar mass of the polymer falls below 17 kg/mol. When the polymer is brittle, i.e. for high levels of degradation, the stress at break decreases linearly with the molar mass , and can be described by a simple mathematical expression.
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Scientists tracked how PET plastic, the material used in water bottles and clothing, develops cracks and eventually breaks into microplastics during exposure to UV light and water. Different forms of PET broke down in different ways and at different speeds, with water-submerged samples showing organized crack networks within 30 days. The study helps explain how everyday plastic products fragment into the microplastics found throughout the environment, with fibers being one of the most common shapes produced.
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Scientists discovered that plastic items like PET bottles don't need much chemical breakdown before they start shedding tiny plastic fragments, just a tiny fraction of the material's internal bonds need to break before the whole structure becomes brittle and crumbles into micro- and nanoplastics. This matters because it suggests everyday plastics may release these particles (which we're increasingly finding in our bodies) more easily than previously assumed, even under mild conditions like normal aging or storage.
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Researchers tested how sunlight, water, and physical wear work together to break down PET microplastics, the type commonly found in plastic bottles and food packaging. Over 60 days, combined UV light and water exposure caused significant chemical degradation of the plastic surfaces. This matters because as microplastics break down in the environment, they release smaller fragments and potentially harmful chemicals that are easier for organisms to absorb.
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Researchers reviewed the environmental impact of PET bottle degradation and strategies for managing the resulting microplastic pollution. The study highlights that PET bottle usage continues to grow, and its breakdown releases low-molecular-weight compounds and microplastics, while outlining mitigation approaches including improved recycling and waste management practices.
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Researchers simulated UV weathering of polypropylene plastic and tracked how exposure progressively degraded the polymer, causing surface cracking and changes in mechanical properties that facilitate breakdown into microplastics. The results help explain how environmental weathering of plastic waste accelerates microplastic formation.
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