In order to study the degradability of flowerpot made from straw/soy protein isolate (SPI) modified urea formaldehyde resin composites in different surroundings, the specimens were treated by soil burial (SB) and outdoor exposure(OE)methods.Structure and performance of flowerpots were investigated through mechanical properties, mass loss rate and water absorption test, TG-FTIR, SEM and EDS.Results show that, compared with control group (US), after treated with SB and OE for 12 months, respectively, the tensile strength of flowerpots decreases by 36.51% and 19.92%, elastic modulus decreases by 9.38% and 3.92%, the elongation at break decreases by 41.36% and 36.61%, respectively.The mass loss rates of the two composites are 13.74% and 4.69%, respectively, and the water absorption of specimens enhance.TG-FTIR results show that degassing condition of pyrolytic reaction of flowerpot after degradation process becomes milder, and the maximum pyrolysis peaks lag.SEM shows the degree of surface corrosion and morphology changes of flowerpots after treated with SB are markedly greater than that of flowerpots after treated with OE, and the content of carbon and nitrogen significantly drops.These results indicate that the straw/SPI modified urea formaldehyde resin composite flowerpots treated with SB and OE have been degraded in different extents and degradation rate of flowerpots treated with SB is faster than that of flowerpots treated with OE.
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