ASTM_D_5509_-_96.pdf

Designation:D 5509 96An American National StandardStandard Practice forExposing Plastics to a Simulated Compost Environment1This standard is issued under the fixed designation D 5509;the number immediately following the designation indicates the year oforiginal adoption or,in the case of revision,the year of last revision.A number in parentheses indicates the year of last reapproval.Asuperscript epsilon(e)indicates an editorial change since the last revision or reapproval.1.Scope1.1 This practice covers the exposure of plastics to a specifictest environment.The test environment is a laboratory-scalereactor that simulates a self-heating composting system andthat uses aeration to control maximum temperature.Plasticexposure occurs in the presence of a media undergoing aerobiccomposting.The standard media simulates a municipal solidwaste from which inert materials have been removed.Thispractice allows for the use of other media to representparticular waste streams.This practice provides exposed speci-mens for further testing and for comparison with controls.Thistest environment does not necessarily reproduce conditions thatcould occur in a particular full-scale composting process.1.2 Changes in the material properties of the plastic andcontrols should be determined using appropriate ASTM testprocedures.Changes could encompass physical and chemicalchanges such as disintegration and degradation.1.3 This practice may be used for different purposes.There-fore,the interested parties must select the following:exposureconditions from those allowed by this practice;criteria for avalid exposure,that is,minimum or maximum change require-ments for the compost and controls;and the magnitudes ofmaterial properties changes required for the plastic specimens.1.4 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as thestandard.The values given in parentheses are for informationonly.1.5 This standard does not purport to address all of thesafety concerns,if any,associated with its use.It is theresponsibility of the user of this standard to establish appro-priate safety and health practices and determine the applica-bility of regulatory limitations prior to use.Specific hazardstatements are given in Section 8.NOTE1There is no similar or equivalent ISO standard.2.Referenced Documents2.1 ASTM Standards:D 618 Practice for Conditioning Plastics and ElectricalInsulating Materials for Testing2D 638 Test Method for Tensile Properties of Plastics2D 882 Test Methods for Tensile Properties of Thin PlasticSheeting2D 883 Terminology Relating to Plastics2D 1898 Practice for Sampling of Plastics2D 1922 Test Method for Propagation Tear Resistance ofPlastic Film and Thin Sheeting by Pendulum Method2D 3593 Test Method for Molecular Weight Averages andMolecular Weight Distribution of Certain Polymers byLiquid Size-Exclusion Chromatography(Gel PermeationChromatography GPC)Using Universal Calibration3D 3826 Practice for Determining Degradation End Point inDegradable Polyolefins Using a Tensile Test42.2American Public Health Association Standard:5210 B.5-Day BOD Test,Standard Methods for the Exami-nation of Water and Wastewater53.Terminology3.1 Definitions:Definitions of terms applying to this prac-tice appear in Terminology D 883.Definitions in TerminologyD 883 supersede definitions in this section.3.2 Definitions of Terms Specific to This Standard:3.2.1 aerobica life process that occurs in the presence ofoxygen(1).63.2.2 biological reactora vessel in which living organ-isms,usually microorganisms,catalyze a reaction.3.2.3 composta relatively stabilized and sanitized productof composting.3.2.4 compost environmenta biological reactor containinga solid-organic-waste matrix in which aerobic degradationoccurs due to the action of microorganisms and other mecha-nisms.3.2.5 degradationthe process by which a chemical isreduced to a less complex form(1).3.2.6 disintegrationphysical breakup of a solid material.3.2.7 inoculummicroorganisms placed in compost to startor accelerate biological action(1).3.2.8 simulated solid wastea media representing a typicalwaste stream.Although every item found in an actual stream isnot included,it includes representative items which establish a1This practice is under the jurisdiction of ASTM Committee D-20 on Plasticsand is the direct responsibility of Subcommittee D20.96 on EnvironmentallyDegradable Plastics.Current edition approved June 10,1996.Published August 1996.Originallypublished as D 5509 94.Last previous edition D 5509 94.2Annual Book of ASTM Standards,Vol 08.01.3DiscontinuedSee 1992 Annual Book of ASTM Standards,Vol 08.02.4Annual Book of ASTM Standards,Vol 08.02.5Standard Methods for the Examination of Water and Wastewater,18th ed,1992,published by the American Public Health Assn.,1015 Fifteenth St.,NW,Washington,DC 20005.6The boldface numbers in parentheses refer to the list of references at the end ofthis standard.1AMERICAN SOCIETY FOR TESTING AND MATERIALS100 Barr Harbor Dr.,West Conshohocken,PA 19428Reprinted fr