Plastic articles digestible by hot alkaline treatment

1. A method of disposing of biodegradable material, the method comprising the step of exposing the biodegradable material to a hot alkaline solution, said solution having a temperature of at least about 100° C.,

wherein the biodegradable material comprises polyhydroxyalkanoate copolymer comprising a first randomly repeating monomer unit having the structure:

wherein R 1 is H or a C 1-2 alkyl, and n is 1 or 2; and

a second randomly repeating monomer unit having the structure:

wherein R 2 is a C 3-19 alkyl or a C 3-19 alkenyl; and

wherein at least 50% of the randomly repeating monomer units have the structure of the first randomly repeating monomer unit.

2. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the hot alkaline solution has a temperature of at least about 120° C.

3. A method according to claim 2 , wherein the hot alkaline solution has a pH of at least about 8.5.

4. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the first randomly repeating monomer unit has the structure:

and the second randomly repeating monomer unit has the structure:

wherein R is (CH 2 ) q —CH 3 and q is at least 2.

5. A method according to claim 4 , wherein q is from about 2 to about 18.

6. A method according to claim 5 , wherein the molar ratio of the first randomly repeating monomer unit to the second randomly repeating monomer unit is from about 50:50 to about 99:1.

7. A method according to claim 5 , wherein q is from about 4 to about 16 and the molar ratio of the first randomly repeating monomer unit to the second randomly repeating monomer unit is from about 80:20 to about 96:4.

8. A method according to claim 4 , wherein the polyhydroxyalkanoate copolymer is flexible.

9. A method according to claim 1 , wherein the polyhydroxyalkanoate copolymer

further comprises a third randomly repeating monomer unit having the structure:

wherein R 3 is H, a C 1-19 alkyl or a C 1-19 alkenyl, and m is 1 or 2; and

wherein the third randomly repeating monomer unit is not the same as the first randomly repeating monomer unit or the second randomly repeating monomer unit.

10. A method of converting at least a portion of a solid article to a biodegradable liquid, comprising the steps of:

(a) providing a solid article comprising polyhydroxyalkanoate copolymer comprising a first randomly repeating monomer unit having the structure:

wherein R 1 is H or a C 1-2 alkyl, and n is 1 or 2; and

a second randomly repeating monomer unit having the structure:

wherein R 2 is a C 3-19 alkyl or a C 3-19 alkenyl; and

wherein at least 50% of the randomly repeating monomer units have the structure of the first randomly repeating monomer unit; and

(b) contacting the solid article with a hot alkaline solution, said solution having a temperature of at least about 100° C.

11. A method according to claim 10 , wherein the hot alkaline solution has a temperature of at least about 120° C.

12. A method according to claim 11 , wherein the hot alkaline solution has a temperature in the range of from about 120° C. to about 170° C.

13. A method according to claim 11 , wherein the hot alkaline solution has a pH of at least about 8.5.

14. A method according to claim 10 , wherein the polyhydroxyalkanoate copolymer has a volume percent crystallinity no greater than about 50%.

15. A method according to claim 10 , wherein the polyhydroxyalkanoate copolymer has a molecular weight of greater than about 25,000.

16. A method according to claim 10 , wherein the polyhydroxyalkanoate copolymer further comprises a third randomly repeating monomer unit having the structure:

wherein R 3 is H, a C 1-19 alkyl or a C 1· alkenyl, and m is 1 or 2; and

wherein the third randomly repeating monomer unit is not the same as the first randomly repeating monomer unit or the second randomly repeating monomer unit.

17. An article comprising a polyhydroxyalkanoate copolymer, wherein the polyhydroxyalkanoate copolymer comprises a first randomly repeating monomer unit having the structure:

wherein R 1 is H or a C 1-2 alkyl, and n is 1 or 2; and

a second randomly repeating monomer unit having the structure:

wherein R 2 is a C 3-19 alkyl or a C 3-19 alkenyl;

wherein at least 50% of the randomly repeating monomer units have the structure of the first randomly repeating monomer unit, and

wherein the article is capable of being at least partially digested by exposure to a hot alkaline solution, said solution having a temperature of at least about 100° C.

18. An article according to claim 17 , wherein the first randomly repeating monomer unit has the structure:

and the second randomly repeating monomer unit has the structure:

wherein R is (CH 2 ) q —CH 3 and q is from about 2 to about 18.

19. An article according to claim 17 , wherein the article is a health care item selected from the group consisting of gowns, gloves, medical tubing, blood pressure cuffs, face masks, sutures, anesthesia mouthpieces, dental bite blocks, dental cofferdams, dental retainers, respirator bellows, adhesive tape, bandages, sheets, pads, bed pans, waste bags, enema bags and tips, intravenous fluid bags, syringes, bedding items and mixtures thereof.

20. An article according to claim 19 , wherein the article is medical tubing selected from the group consisting of intravenous tubing, airways, catheters, shunts, drains, dialysis tubing, parenteral feeding tubing and mixtures thereof.

21. An article according to claim 17 , wherein the article is a food service item selected from the coup consisting of utensils, plates, cups, trays, cup holders, toothpicks, straws, sticks and mixtures thereof.

22. An article according to claim 17 , wherein the article is at least partially digested by exposure to a hot alkaline solution having a temperature of at least about 120° C. and a pH of greater than about 7.

23. An article according to claim 22 , wherein the article is at least partially digested by exposure to hot alkaline solution having a temperature in the range of from about 120° C. to about 170° C. and a pH of at least about 8.5.

24. An article according to claim 17 , wherein the polyhydroxyalkanoate copolymer has a volume percent crystallinity no greater than about 50%.

25. An article according to claim 24 , wherein the polyhydroxyalkanoate copolymer has a volume percent crystallinity of from about 20% to about 40%.

26. An article according to claim 17 , wherein the polyhydroxyalkanoate copolymer has a volume percent crystallinity greater than about 50%.

27. A method of decontaminating and at least partially digesting a health care item, the method comprising the step of:

(a) providing a health care item; and

(b) contacting the health care item with a hot alkaline solution, said solution having a temperature of at least about 100° C.;

wherein the health care item is formed of a material comprising polyhydroxyalkanoate copolymer comprising a the first randomly repeating monomer unit having the structure:

wherein R 1 is H or a C 1-2 alkyl, and n is 1 or 2; and

a second randomly repeating monomer unit having the structure:

wherein R 2 is a C 3-19 alkyl or a C 3-19 alkenyl; and

wherein at least 50% of the randomly repeating monomer units have the structure of the first randomly repeating monomer unit.

28. A method according to claim 27 , wherein the hot alkaline solution has a temperature in the range of from about 120° C. to about 170° C.

29. A method according to claim 28 , wherein the hot alkaline solution has a pH of greater than about 7.

30. A method according to claim 27 , wherein the hot alkaline solution has a temperature of greater than about 140° C.

31. A method according to claim 30 , wherein the hot alkaline solution has a pH of at least about 8.5.

32. A method according to claim 27 , wherein the first randomly repeating monomer unit has the structure:

and the second randomly repeating monomer unit has the structure:

wherein R is (CH 2 ) q —CH 3 and q is at least 2.