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Enhanced mechanical properties and degradability of poly(butylene succinate) and poly(lactic acid) blends

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Abstract

To improve the tensile properties and degradability of poly(butylene succinate) (PBS) for biomedical usage, biodegradable polymer blends have been developed. A series of PBS and poly(lactic acid) (PLA) blends were prepared, and their degradation behaviors in simulated body fluid for 16 months were investigated based on morphology, tensile test, weight analysis, and molecular weight. The results showed that the incorporation of PLA into PBS increased the initial tensile strength to some extent, and the blends lost their tensile properties earlier than their parent polymers with the proceeding of hydrolysis. Both blends and parent polymers went through a plateau and subsequent rise stage in mass loss and water absorption, but the blends hydrolyzed faster than the parent polymers. The molecular weight variations also demonstrated faster hydrolysis of the blends. Moreover, both blends and their parent polymers underwent a slow-to-fast transition in their hydrolysis rates. When the M n of PBS and PLA reached 4.0 × 104 and 9.0 × 104, the hydrolysis of parent polymers and blends began to accelerate, which is the start of auto-acceleration. The blends hydrolyzed faster in both stages. The interface between the components initiated accelerating hydrolysis in the first stage, and the reciprocal auto-acceleration effect resulted in faster hydrolysis of the blends in the second stage.

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Acknowledgments

This research was financially supported by a National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) surface project with Grant 30870620.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Surgery, Cardiovascular Institute and Fuwai Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100037, China

    Jian Zhou, Kun Hua, Chang’en Duan & Xiubin Yang

  2. Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, China

    Xiaowei Wang, Wei Zhang & Junhui Ji

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  1. Jian Zhou
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  2. Xiaowei Wang
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  3. Kun Hua
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  4. Chang’en Duan
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  5. Wei Zhang
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  6. Junhui Ji
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  7. Xiubin Yang
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Correspondence to Junhui Ji or Xiubin Yang.

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Zhou, J., Wang, X., Hua, K. et al. Enhanced mechanical properties and degradability of poly(butylene succinate) and poly(lactic acid) blends. Iran Polym J 22, 267–275 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13726-013-0124-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13726-013-0124-8

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