Plastics released to the environment can persist for many decades or longer. Even in conjunction with a more responsible waste management, a non-persistent behaviour is desirable as a backstop. For the case of polyethylene, environmental degradation is hampered by its chemically inert hydrocarbon nature. In addition, for the case of linear polyethylene (HDPE) its' high crystallinity is the source of the materials desirable mechanical strength, but also impedes degradation. We have shown that low-densities of ester or carbonate breakpoints in polyethylene chains can enable an efficient closed-loop recycling, at the same time not compromising desirable processing and materials properties. These in-chain groups in principle also offer themselves for a hydrolytic environmental degradation, although the bulk materials are inert to aqueous acids or base at ambient conditions. Towards the aim of non-persistent polyethylene-like materials, this contribution discusses the degradation behaviour observed at different length scales from macroscopic to the microscopic regime.

Hydrolytic degradation of polyethylene-like materials over different lengthscales

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