Simulation of a compost environment in a mono-substrate fixed-bed system

A mono-substrate fixed-bed system with which the complete biodegradability and the compostability of plastics can be shown is presented. The biodegradability gives information about the degradation rate of a product or work piece of it. In the mono-substrate fixed-bed system a complete carbon balance can be established. At the same time, the transport limitations of the real composed fixed-bed can be simulated. The plastic is mixed with a granular bed containing inert support material. The bed is inoculated with a composed concentrate, which contains a mixed population of micro-organisms and the necessary minerals. Humidity, temperature, and aeration flow-rates can be adjusted comparable to the real composting system.