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Biodegradable Poly(butylene succinate) and Poly(butylene adipate-co-terephthalate) Blends: Reactive Extrusion and Performance Evaluation

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Abstract

Two biodegradable polyesters, poly(butylene adipate-co-terephthalate) (PBAT) and poly(butylene succinate) (PBS) were melt-compounded in a twin screw extruder to fabricate a novel PBS/PBAT blend. The compatibility of the blend was attributed to the transesterification reaction that was confirmed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The Gibbs free energy equation was applied to explain the miscibility of the resulting blend. Dynamic mechanical analysis of the blends exhibits an intermediate tanδ peak compared to the individual components which suggests that the blend achieved compatibility. One of the key findings is that the tensile strength of the optimized blend is higher than each of the blended partner. Rheological properties revealed a strong shear-thinning tendency of the blend by the addition of PBAT into PBS. The phase morphology of the blends was observed through scanning electron microscopy, which revealed that phase separation occurred in the blends. The spherulite growth in the blends was highly influenced by the crystallization temperature and composition. In addition, the presence of a dispersed amorphous phase was found to be a hindrance to the spherulite growth, which was confirmed by polarizing optical microscopy. Furthermore, the increased crystallization ability of PBAT in the blend systems gives the blend a balanced thermal resistance property.

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Acknowledgments

The authors acknowledge the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Food (OMAF) and Ministry of Rural Affairs (MRA)—University of Guelph Bioeconomy-industrial uses research, for their sponsorships. They also gratefully acknowledge the Ontario Research Fund, Research Excellence, round-4 (ORF RE04) from Ontario Ministry of Economic Development and Innovation (MEDI), Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC), Networks of Centers of Excellence (NCE) and AUTO21 project for their financial support to carry out this research work.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Engineering, Thornbrough Building, University of Guelph, 50 Stone Road East, Guelph, ON, N1G 2W1, Canada

    Rajendran Muthuraj, Manjusri Misra & Amar Kumar Mohanty

  2. Department of Plant Agriculture, Bioproducts Discovery and Development Centre, Crop Science Building, University of Guelph, 50 Stone Road East, Guelph, ON, N1G 2W1, Canada

    Rajendran Muthuraj, Manjusri Misra & Amar Kumar Mohanty

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  1. Rajendran Muthuraj
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  2. Manjusri Misra
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Correspondence to Manjusri Misra or Amar Kumar Mohanty.

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Muthuraj, R., Misra, M. & Mohanty, A.K. Biodegradable Poly(butylene succinate) and Poly(butylene adipate-co-terephthalate) Blends: Reactive Extrusion and Performance Evaluation. J Polym Environ 22, 336–349 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10924-013-0636-5

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