Chapter 01: Overview
Biodegradability of plastics refers to the process by which microorganisms break down the
organic material (polymer) to its basic elemental components (water, biomass and gas). It is
a complex biological process reliant on several critical factors, including the chemical and
physical properties of the test material (e.g., polymer chain length and strength of
interactions, surface area, etc.), environment (e.g., soil, compost, water, presence of
microorganisms, etc.) and conditions (e.g., temperature, humidity, dynamic or static
incubation, etc.).
The central focus of biodegradability studies is determining the degree and rate to which a
given polymer can biodegrade. In laboratory settings, this question can be answered by
evaluating the biodegradation properties of the tested material considering a specific type of
environment under a well-defined set of conditions.
BPC Blue platform represents the next generation of our analytical tools for conducting
biodegradability analyses under anaerobic and aerobic conditions. This system delivers
precise and accurate gas measurements, enabling the determination of biodegradation rate
and real-time kinetic information of the biodegradation process of any plastic materials.
BPC Blue system has been specifically designed to implement and control a wide range of
standard laboratory conditions in accordance with several international protocols, providing
a thorough and reproducible evaluation of the biodegradation properties of polymers. Its
advanced capabilities offer fundamental insights into the biodegradability of a given material,
enabling users to conduct comprehensive analyses of the biodegradation process and its
underlying mechanisms.
Compared to the previous instrument offered by BPC Instruments for biodegradability
studies, Gas Endeavour, BPC blue retains the following key features:
¨ Fully automated setup for sampling, recording, data analysis and report generation.
¨ Standalone instrument with embedded data acquisition and web server for remote
access (no need for software installation).
¨ The measuring cell is pre-calibrated by the factory.
¨ The software can be accessed locally or remotely from any device with a web browser
(preferably Google Chrome). System log for operational diagnosis.
¨ Option for real-time automatic compensation for atmospheric pressure,
environmental temperature and moisture content changes to normalise the data to
standard conditions.
¨ Reliable operation and easy maintenance where most of the components can be easily
exchanged without special requirements.
