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Blending polylactic acid with polyhydroxybutyrate: the effect on thermal, mechanical, and biodegradation properties

journal contribution
posted on 2012-01-20, 10:04 authored by Min Zhang, Noreen Thomas
Blends of polylactic acid (PLA) and polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) at a number of different PLA/PHB weight ratios (100/0, 75/25, 50/50, 25/75, 0/100) have been prepared by melt compounding. The morphology, thermal properties, mechanical properties, and biodegradation behavior of these blends have been investigated. The results indicate that PLA/PHB blends are immiscible but exhibit molecular interaction. PHB is highly crystallizable, and it enhances the recrystallization of PLA and consequently increases the heat distortion temperature. Adding PLA to PHB improves the mechanical properties of PHB. In fact, blending with PHB is also a viable approach to improve the mechanical properties of PLA because the PLA/PHB 75/25 blend exhibits significantly improved tensile properties compared with pure PLA. This is due to the finely dispersed PHB crystals acting as a filler and nucleating agent in PLA. The biodegradability, studied by weight change measurement at room temperature, improved with increasing PHB content.

History

School

  • Aeronautical, Automotive, Chemical and Materials Engineering

Department

  • Materials

Citation

ZHANG, M. and THOMAS, N.L., 2011. Blending polylactic acid with polyhydroxybutyrate: the effect on thermal, mechanical, and biodegradation properties. Advances in Polymer Technology, 30 (2), pp. 67 - 79.

Publisher

© Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Version

  • AM (Accepted Manuscript)

Publication date

2011

Notes

This article was published in the journal, Advances in Polymer Technology [© Wiley Periodicals, Inc.] and the definitive version is available at: http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/adv.20235

ISSN

0730-6679

Language

  • en

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