I have two questions for you. Could you suggest how long would it take to completely decompose these fibers in seawater?
Is there any difference between rate of degrading in seawater and through composting?
Unfortunately, the differences in degradation are large, even taking into account the different compost and weather conditions (rain, air temperature).
The main factor contributing to degradation is the temperature, which in the compost can be 50-60 degrees. Sea water is usually below 20 degrees for most of the year, depending on the region of course.
We carried out tests (previous studies) for maximum six months and the degradation was slight. After 6 months colonization by macroorganism could be observed for PLA and PBAT.
We hear opinions that degradation in sea water may take up to 100 years even.
Questions
I have two questions for you. Could you suggest how long would it take to completely decompose these fibers in seawater?
Is there any difference between rate of degrading in seawater and through composting?
Re: Questions
Unfortunately, the differences in degradation are large, even taking into account the different compost and weather conditions (rain, air temperature).
The main factor contributing to degradation is the temperature, which in the compost can be 50-60 degrees. Sea water is usually below 20 degrees for most of the year, depending on the region of course.
We carried out tests (previous studies) for maximum six months and the degradation was slight. After 6 months colonization by macroorganism could be observed for PLA and PBAT.
We hear opinions that degradation in sea water may take up to 100 years even.