Headings Polymers Search Questions 
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Disposing of Polymers.
Although polymers are very useful
materials,
there are problems with disposal of unwanted
articles.
Polymers are not
biodegradable.
This means that decomposers
(bacteria and fungi)
will not break them down into
simpler substances.
If they are buried in the ground (called landfill)
they simply remain as polymers in the ground.
Products from plant
material (wood, paper, cotton etc.)
are biodegradable.
When buried, bacteria and fungi
break them down into useful
nutrients
for further plant
growth. Nature recycles its own
products!
Polymers are a fire
hazard.
Many people die from the smoke of burning
polymers in house fires,
long before the fire reaches them.
Polymers produce toxic materials (poisons)
when they are burnt,
in addition to the expected products
from combustion of hydrocarbons
which are carbon dioxide, water, carbon monoxide and carbon (soot).
Those polymers which contain
chlorine (PVC for example)
also produce hydrogen
chloride on burning.
Those which contain nitrogen
(nylon for example) produce
hydrogen cyanide.
Hydrogen cyanide is extremely poisonous.
Burning polymers is not a
good way of disposing of
them.
Solutions.
More
and more polymers are being recycled.
This is not as cost effective as recycling metals,
but we don't want to live amongst piles of
(unrotting) plastic.
Research into biodegradable
polymers will increasingly
provide
useful replacements for the
main polymers of today.
Headings Polymers Search Questions
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