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10 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
What is Biopol?
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A trade name of the British chemical company ICI for the first fully biodegradable polymer
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When was Biopol commercially developed?
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Early 1990s
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What are Biopol's uses?
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Packaging - blow moulding shampoo bottles. Credit card replacement material
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How is Biopol produced?
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Biopol is produced in nature through the fermentation of alkalined eutrophus bacteria and other carbohydrates that are collected in their cells as reserve materials.
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How can Biopol be stored?
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Biopol is stable when stored in air and is quite stable when stored in humid conditions.
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At what point will Biopol degrade?
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When the polymer is exposed to micro-organisms found naturally in soil, sewage, river bottoms, and other similar environments.
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What is the rate of degradation of Biopol dependant on?
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Thickness of material and the number of bacteria present.
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What is the key advantage of Biopol?
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Biopol decomposes more rapidly without oxygen present; this is the case in most modern sealed landfills.
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How are GM trees made?
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artificially inserting a gene from one plant to another to enhance its biological characteristics.
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What do GM trees produce?
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higher yield of wood pulp
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