Biotransformation®
World’s first technology capable of delivering full microbial conversion on PE and PP material.
Fully and safely biodegrading plastics, leaving behind no microplastics.
About Biotransformation®
Designed and tested by Polymateria, this next-generation Biotransformation technology is works ensure that any plastic escaping the refuse streams can fully biodegrade within the natural environment. The product has been tested to stringent specification to ensure no micro-plastics are left behind, and that the product will achieve a biological decomposition of over 90% in less than two years timeframe.
A New British Standard
This exciting company, Polymateria, has supported the development of new standards for polymer analysis, eco-toxicity and biodegradability testing. Working alongside diverse steering groups of technical specialists, including those from Imperial College London, Avient and BEIS, in order to develop a framework for these standards.
This led to development of a new British standard for biodegradable plastic. The new BSI PAS 9017 addresses a significant gap in the plastics landscape to ensure claims about biodegradability can be independently verified without causing any harm to the environment.
More Information:
•Fully recyclable through normal means of household waste.
•Designed to stop plastics reaching the sea.
•Built on a new generation of proprietary multiple catalytic systems.
•Unlike Oxo-degradation, Biotransformation® is able to transform both crystalline and amorphous phases of PE into a bioavailable wax residue leaving no microplastic behind.
•Time controlled process allowing optimal use phase and recovery through recycling.
•Certified according to international biodegradability standard BSI PAS 9017.
•Tested and verified by ISO/IEC 17025 accredited third-party lab.
•Lab data verified and correlated to real world conditions.
Biotransformation®: How does it work?
Phase 1 - Product Service Life
During the service life of the packaging, the technology is dormant. The packaging retains all its functionalities. Adjustable onset to support the circular economy and to give recycling every chance to happen where available.
Accelerated thermal aging as per ISO 2578 / ASTM D3045.
Arrhenius equation used to estimate service life depending on average temperature of geographical territory/territories of interest.
Tested against RecyClass Recyclability Evaluation Protocol showing no adverse impact to recycling.
Phase 2 - Weathering
Upon activation of the technology, the chemical conversion causes a rapid loss of physical properties. Greater surface area exposed during this process aids greater chemical transformation towards a bioavailable wax. The technology attacks the crystalline and amorphous region of the polymer structure, rapidly turning it into a wax-like material that is no longer a plastic and is not harmful to the environment.
UV (film) or Xenon-arc (rigid) of plastic products for a defined short period of time representing (through calculation) to be no more than 4 months corresponding to South Florida conditions.
Standards used for UV weathering are ASTM D4329 / ISO 4892-3. Standards used for Xenon-arc weathering are ASTM D2565 / ISO 4892-2.
Phase 3 - Biodegradation in the natural environment
The bioavailable wax is biologically transformed through mineralization by naturally occurring bacteria and fungi in the natural environment and under mesophilic/ambient temperature conditions. PE and PP films and rigids fully biodegrade within 1–2 years as verified by 3rdparty labs, leaving no microplastics behind.
The biodegradation testing is performed as per international standards of ASTM D5988 and ISO 17556. The test, as with compostable plastics, shows the conversion of carbon in the test material (the bioavailable wax) to carbon in carbon dioxide.