IS/ISO 20200: Plastics - Determination of disintegration of plastic materials under simulated compositing conditions in a laboratory-scale test

2004·5.3 MB·English

by  Bureau of Indian Standards

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IS/ISO 20200 (2004): Plastics - Determination of
disintegration of plastic materials under simulated
compositing conditions in a laboratory-scale test [PCD 12:
Plastics]
“!ान $ एक न’ भारत का +नम-ण”
Satyanarayan Gangaram Pitroda
““IInnvveenntt aa NNeeww IInnddiiaa UUssiinngg KKnnoowwlleeddggee””
“!ान एक ऐसा खजाना > जो कभी च0राया नहB जा सकता हहहहै””ै”
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151150 20200 : 2004

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Indian Standard
PLASTICS - DETERMINATION OF THE DEGREE OF
DISINTEGRATION OF PLASTIC MATERIALS UNDER
SIMULATED COMPOSTING CONDITIONS IN A
LABORATORY-SCALE TEST
ICS 83.010.01
©SIS 2009
BUREAU OF INDIAN STANDARDS
MANAK SHAVAN, 9 SAHA DUR SHAH ZAFAR MARG
NEWDELHI110002
January2009 PriceGroup4
Plastics SectionalCommittee, PCD 12
NATIONALFOREWORD
This Indian Standard which is identical with ISO 20200 :2004 'Plastics - Determination of the dgree of
disintegrationofplastic materials under simulated composting conditions in alaboratory-scaletest' issued
bytheIntemationalOrganizationforStandardization(ISO) wasadoptedbythe Bureau ofIndianStandards
ontherecommendationofthePlasticsSectionalCommittee andapprovalofthePetroleum,CoalandRelated
ProductsDivisionCouncil.
The text of ISO Stardard has been approved as suitable for publication as an Indian Standard without
deviations.Certain conventions are, however, not identical to those used in Indian Standards. Attention is
particularlydrawntothefollowing:
a) Whereverthewords'IntemationalStandard'appear referringtothisstandard, theyshouldbereadas
'IndianStandard'.
b) Comma(,)hasbeenusedasadecimalmarkerintheInternational StandardwhileinIndianStandard,
thecurrentpractice istouse apoint (.)asthedecimal marker.
Inthisadoptedstandard, referenceappears tothefollowing InternationalStandardforwhich IndianStandard
also exists. The corresponding Indian Standard which isto be substituted in its respective place is listed
belowalongwithitsdegree of equivalencefortheeditions indicated:
InternationalStandard CorrespondingIndianStandard DegreeofEquivalence
ISO 3310-1 : 2000 Test sieves IS460(Part1):1985 Specificationfor Technically Equivalent
Technicalrequirementsandtesting test sieves: Part 1 Wire cloth test
Part1:Testsievesof metalwirecloth sieves (thirdrevision)
In reporting the results of a test or analysis made in accordance with this standard, if the final value,
observed or calculated, is to be rounded off, it shall be done in accordance with IS 2 : 1960 'Rules for
roundingoffnumericalvalues (revised)'.
151150 20200: 2004
Indian Standard
PLASTICS - DETERMINATION OF THE DEGREE OF
DISINTEGRATION OF PLASTIC MATERIALS UNDER
SIMULATED COMPOSTING CONDITIONS IN A
LABORATORY-SCALE TEST
1 Scope
ThisInternationalStandardspecifiesamethodofdeterminingthedegreeofdisintegration ofplasticmaterials
when exposed to a laboratory-scale composting environment. The method is not applicable to the
determination of the biodegradability of plastic materials under composting conditions. Further testing is
necessarytobeabletoclaimcompostability.
2 Normative references
The following referenced documents are indispensable for the application of this document. For dated
references, only the edition cited applies. For undated references, the latest edition of the referenced
document(includinganyamendments)applies.
ISO3310-1:2000, Testsieves- Technicalrequirementsandtesting- Part 1:Test sievesofmetalwirecloth
3 Termsand definitions
Forthepurposesofthisdocument,thefollowingtermsanddefinitionsapply.
3.1
compost
organicsoil conditioner obtained by biodegradationof a mixture consisting principally of vegetableresidues,
occasionallywithotherorganicmaterialandhavingalimitedmineralcontent
3.2
compostabllity
abilityofamaterialtobe biodegradedinacompostingprocess
NOTE Todaimcompostability itmusthawbeendemonstrated thatamaterial canbebiodegraded anddisintegrated
inacompostingsystem(ascanbeshownbystandardtestmethods)andcompletes itsbiodegradationduringtheend-ose
ofthe compost Thecompost mustmeet the relevantquarllycriteria.Qualitycriteria aree.g.lowheavy-metal content,no
ecotoxicity,noobviouslydistinguishableresidues.
3.3
compostlng
aerobicprocessdesignedtoproducecompost
3.4
disintegration
physicalbreakdownofamaterialintoverysmallfragments

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151150 20200: 2004
3.5
drymass
massofasamplemeasured afterdrying
NOTE Drymassisexpressed asapercentageofthemass ofthewetsample.
3.6
mesophilic incubation period
incubationat25'Ctoallowthedevelopmentofmicroorganismsgrowingatroom temperature
3.7
thennophilicincubation period
incubationat58°Ctoallowthedevelopmentofmicroorganismsgrowing athightemperature
3.8
total drysolids
amountofsolidsobtained bytakinq aknown volume oftest materialorcompostand drying atabout 105'Cto
constantmass
3.9
volatilesolids
amount of solids obtained by subtracting the residue obtained from a known volume of test material or
compostafterincinerationatabout550 'Cfrom thetotal drysolidscontent ofthe same sample
NOTE Thevolatile-solidscontent isanindicationoftheamount oforganic matter present.
4 Principle
Themethod determines the degree of disintegration of test materials on a laboratory scale under conditions
simulatinganintensive aerobic composting process. The solid matrix used consists of a synthetic solid waste
inoculatedwithmature compost taken from acommercial composting plant. Pieces of the plastic test material
arecompostedwith this prepared solid matrix. The degree of disintegration isdetermined after a composting
cycle,bysievingthefinalmatrix through a2mm sieve inorderto recoverthe non-disintegrated residues.The
reductioninmass ofthetest sample isconsidered asdisintegrated material and used to calculate the degree
ofdisintegration.
5 Synthetic solid waste
Thecompositionofthesyntheticwaste usedinthismethod isdescribed inTable1.
Well aerated compost from a commercial aerobic composting plant shall be used as the inoculum. The
compostinoculumshall behomogeneous andfree from large inert objects such asglass,stones or pieces of
metal.Removeanysuchobjects manuallyandthen sievethecompost ona screen ofmesh aperture between
D,Scm and 1em. It is recommended that compost from a plant composting the organic fraction of solid
municipalwaste be used in order to ensure sufficient diversity of microorganisms. If such a compost is not
available,then compost from plants treating farmyard waste or mixtures of garden waste and solid municipal
wastemaybeused.Thecompost shallnotbeolderthan4months.
Prepare the synthetic waste manually by mixing the different components listed in Table 1. The allowed
tolerance on the mass measurements of the synthetic waste components, water included, is 5%. Add
chlorine-freetapwater, or de-ionized or distilled water, tothe mixture to adjust its final watercontent to 55%
in total. Perform this operation just before start-up. The synthetic waste shall have a carbon:nitrogen (C/N)
ratioofbetween20:1and40:1.Theurea concentration canbechanged to adjust the C/N ratiotothe required
range. In this case, the concentration of the other components shall be adjusted proportionately in order to
bringthetotaldrymass ofthesolidwaste to100%.

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151150 20200: 2004
Table 1- Compositionofsyntheticsolidwaste
Dry mass
Material
%
Sawdust 40
Rabbit-feed 30
Ripecompost 10
Cornstarch 10
Saccharose 5
Cornseedoil 4
Urea 1
Total 100
NOTE1 Sawdustfromuntreatedwood shallbeused.Itispreferabletousewoodfrom
deciduoustrees.Sawdustshallbesievedthrougha5mmsievebeforeuse
NOTE2 The rabbit-feed shall bea commercial product based onalfalfa (lucerne)
(Medicago sativa) and vegetablemeal. Ifaproductwith adifferentcomposition isused,
thecomposition shall begiven inthetestreport The protein content ofthe rabbit-feed
shallbeapproximately15%andthecellulosecontentapproximately20%
6 Composting reactor
The preferred composting reactor is a box made of polypropylene or other suitable material, haVing the
following dimensions: 30cm x20em x 10em (I, w, h). The box shall be covered with a lid assuring a tight
seal to avoid excessive evaporation. Additionally, any gap between box and lid may be sealed with adhesive
tape. Inthe middleofthe two 20emwide sides, a hole of5mm diametershall bemadeapproximately6,5em
from the bottom of the box. These two holes provide gas exchange between the inner atmosphere and the
outsideenvironmentand shall not be blocked.
Othercontainerswith avolumebetween5Iand 20Imay also be used, providedthatitcan beverifiedthat no
unfavourable anaerobic conditions are generated. The container shall be closed in a way wtIich avoids
excessive drying-out of the contents. Again, openings shall be provided in order to allow gas exchange and
ensure aerobicconditionsthroughoutthecompostingphase.
7 Procedure
7.1 Test materialpreparation
Cut up test material to give pieces with the dimensions defined in Table2, based on the thickness of the
material.
Drythe piecesoftest material in an oven at (40±2)°C undervacuum forthe length oftimeneededto reach
constant mass. Priorto mixing the pieces of test material with the synthetic waste, immersethem indistilled
waterfor nomorethan 30 s.

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ISIISO 20200: 2004
Table 2- Dimensionsofthe piecesoftestmaterialusedin thedisintegrationtest
Dimensionsofpieces
Thicknessoftestmaterial
mm
<5mm 25x25xoriginalthickness
>5mm 15x15xthickness(from5mmto15mm)
7.2 Start-up ofthe test
Preparea minimum ofthree reactors for eachtest material. Take between 5g and 20g of test material per
reactor,depending onthe volume occupiedby the test material, andmix itwith 1kg ofwet synthetic waste.
Theratioofthe mass oftest material to themass ofwet syntheticwaste shall bein the range from 0,5%to
2%. Placethe mixture on the bottom of the reactor, forming a homogeneous layer. Do not compress the
mixture,allowingefficientgas exchangewiththeinteriorofthe bed.Recordthe mass oftest material ineach
reactor.
7.3 Thennophilic incubation period(hightemperature)
Closeandweigheachreactor andplace itin anair-circulationoven maintained ata constant temperature of
(58±2)·C foraminimumperiodof45daysandamaximumof90days.Record thetemperature ofthe oven
throughoutthetestperiodor,alternatively,useamaximum-minimum thermometer, checkingthetemperature
atleasttwiceaweek.
To ensurea goodcomposting process,it is necessaryto maintain suitable environmental conditions. Follow
the procedure described in Table3. This procedure aerates the composting matter whilst maintaining a
sufficientwatercontent.Thegrossmassofthereactorfilledwiththemixture isdetermined atthebeginningof
thecompostingprocess.At eachscheduledpointintime(seeTable3),the reactorisweighed and,ifneeded,
theinitialmassrestoredtotally orinpartbyaddingchlorine-freetapwater,de-ionized water ordistilled water
as indicated in Table3. It is important to note that the optimum water concentration is obtained when the
composting matter is wet but no free water is present. This means that the maximum water-absorbing
capacity has not been reached. The operator can determine this condition by squeezing the composting
matter,which shallexude a small amount of water.The operator can then adjust the amount of water to be
addedindicatedinTable3onthebasisofthisdirectcheck.
Mixing of the composting matter can be performed with a laboratory spatula or a common spoon. This
operation shall be carried out carefully, paying attention not to damage the pieces of test material in the
compostingmatter. The purpose of mixing is to aerate the mass andremix the water, but it is important to
avoidanymechanicaldegradationofthepiecesoftestmaterial.
7.4 Mesophilicincubation period (at room temperature)
If at the end of the thermophilic incubation period the test material has not sufficiently disintegrated, it is
possibletoextend the test,using the following procedure.Add 25g of fertile earth to each reactor. Mix the
compostandthe earthgently to avoid anymechanical damage to the residual pieces oftest material. Close
eachreactorandleaveitinanair-circulationovenat(25±2)·C foramaximum period of90days.Recordthe
temperatureof the oventhroughout the test period or, alternatively, use a maximum-minimum thermometer,
checkingthetemperature at leasttwice aweek.Check the mass once aweek and add water, if needed, to
restore the mass to 70% of the mass measured at the beginning of the test (see 7.3). Do not mix the
compostingmassdUringthisperiod.
Ifthetestisextendedinthisway,thisshallbe mentionedinthetestreport.
IsnSO 20200: 2004
Table3- Compostingprocedure (thermophilicincubationperiod)
Timefromstart Operation
days
0 Recordinitialmass ofreactor
1,2,3,4,7,9,11,14 Weighreactorandaddwatertorestorethe initialmass,if
needed.Mixthecompostingmatter.
8,10,16,18,21,23,25,28 Weighreactorandaddwatertorestoretheinitialmass,if
needed. Donotmixthecompostingmatter.
30,45 Weighreactorandaddwatertorestorethemassto80%of
the initial mass, ifneeded.Mixthecomposnnqmatter.
From30till60,twice aweek Weighreactorandaddwatertorestorethemassto80%of
the initial mass, ifneeded.Donotmix thecompostingmatter.
From60onwards,twice aweek Weighreactorandaddwatertorestorethemassto70%of
the initial mass, ifneeded.Donotmixthecompostingmatter.
8 Monitoring thecomposting process
During the test, the synthetic waste shall become compost, i.e. the composting process shall occur. The
composting reaction is monitored by inspecting the composting matter when mixing and adding water. The
diagnostic parameters to be taken into account are both subjective and objective and are described in
Clause9.
9 Diagnostic parameters
9.1 Odour
Duri!1gthecompostingprocess,itispossibletodetect aprecise succession of specific odours.Within thefirst
twoorthree days,the synthetic waste hasanacidic odour,whichgradually decays intoanammoniacalodour
from day5 to day10, lasting approximately 10days. Finally, no particular odour, or an earth-like one, is
detected,Record inthetestreportanydeparturefromthisscheme.
9.2 Visual appearance
The visual appearanceof the composting matter changes during the first two weeks. Myceliawhich growon
thecomposting matterwill usually bevisible during thefirst week.The colour ofthe synthetic waste,which is
initiallylight yellow because ofthe high sawdustconcentration, turns brown within 10days.Record inthetest
.reportanydeparturefrom thisscheme.
9.3 Chemicalanalysis
Analyse samples ofsyntheticwaste usedatthe beginning ofthe testand samples ofthecompost obtainedat
the end of the composting process, after sieving, in order to determine the initial and final values of the
following parameters: total carbon/total nitrogen (CIN ratio) and pH. Measure these parameters using
standardtestmethods, andrecord them.
NOTE The total carboncontentusedtodeterminetheCJNratio can betakenas thevolatile-solidsconlentdivided by
afactorof2.

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