Your question seems that you are trying to say that plastic wastes are more degradable than other waste materials. It is not possible.
The common plastics wastes usually release very little volatile matter at ambient temperatures over a long period of time.
When a polymer chemist carries out a test to determine the volatile matter content in plastics, the standard method is to heat a sample to 950 oC for 7 minutes in a furnace. This test is called (ASTMD3175). Of course, such high temperature will release high amounts of volatile materials from a plastic since there are processes (such as degradation, de-polymerization...etc.) that take place.
The question does not make much sense or actually explains what you want to ask. Elaborate your question.
Maybe I haven't understood the question. If you are currently "doing research on waste" you certainly know already what plastics, glass, ceramics, wood, paper and cardboard, textiles, metal cans etc are made of. You ought therefore be able to find yourself the answer you are seeking.
Possibly you refer to the Short Analysis, comprising moisture, ash, and volatile matter + fixed carbon. An analysis of polyethylene will yield almost a 100 % volatile matter. Polystyrene also yields some soot (FC), as does PVC. Thermosets, however, give considerable amounts of FC.
I think it is because the method used in volatile matter analysis generally uses a method where you combust the material at 550C or higher. At this temperature all the components present in plastic are volatile and leave no residue. However, in other types of wastes (example, food waste, yard waste etc) there are inorganic materials like metal ions which form ash. Thermosets, on the other hand are already heat treated which makes them have a higher fixed carbon i.e., most volatiles are lost during thermosetting process leaving a higher FC whicg gives hardness to these plastics. I hope this makes sense
The natural gas is the main material in plastics. chlorine, Hydrogen, and phthalates as well. You get them back in the waste.
Said Sabbagh Never heard that natural gas is a constituent of plastic. It seems like I don't know about natural gas or you have some extraordinary misconceptions about plastics.
Dear Abhijeet Singh I wrote only what I am sure about it.
I will write more soon.
Natural gas (N.G) is a simple mixture of gases with the major component being methane CH4 with very small amounts of ethane, propane, and possibly hydrogen sulfide "if N.G is not de-sulfurized". This a typical composition of N.G.
As such, N.G does not contain monomers that are suitable for polymerization or formation of plastics.
In the 1980s , I gave students an assignment to search for possible preparation routes "from the chemical literature" starting with methane or glucose...etc and producing monomers such as ethylene, propylene, vinyl chloride, diols, dicarboxylic acids.
They found scattered information here & there but it was proven that too much time, money, and effort have to be paid to get the monomers & eventually arrive at establishing a polymer industry. I did not publish their results simply because it was their work & I thought it was unwise to publish a paper for them with at least 60 authors!
Dear Kevin,
Your observation is absolutely right. In understanding the underlying reason, both temperature and pressure come into play (mainly pressure).
With this knowledge, plastics have very high vapor pressures, there-by requiring less energy to combust, thus releasing more molecules (volatiles), compared to other wastes/fuels.
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