Miscibility and crystallinity of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate)/poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) blends

With the objective of developing new biodegradable materials, the miscibility and the crystallinity of blends of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate), P(3HB), and poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate), P(3HB-co-3HV), have been studied. P(3HB) (300 kg mol⁻¹)/P(3HB-co-3HV)–10% 3HV (340 kg mol⁻¹) blends were prepared by casting in a wide range of proportions, and characterized by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR). The experimental values for the glass transition temperatures (T_g) are in good agreement with the values provided by the Fox equation, showing that the blends are miscible. It was observed that the T_g and the melting temperature (T_m) decreases with the increase in the P(3HB-co-3HV)–10% 3HV content, while the crystallization temperature (T_c) increases. FT-IR analyses confirmed the decrease on the crystallinity of P(3HB)/P(3HB-co-3HV)–10% 3HV blends with higher copolymer contents. Bands related to the crystallinity were changed, due to the copolymer content that produced miscible and less crystalline blends.     

β-羟基丁酸与β-羟基戊酸酯共聚物/有机化蒙脱土纳米复合材料热性能、结晶性能与生物降解性能的研究

采用溶液插层法制备了β-羟基丁酸与β-羟基戊酸酯共聚物(PHBV)有机化蒙脱土(OMMT)的纳米复合材料．用示差热分析(DSC)，热重分析(TG)和偏光显微镜(POM)研究了材料的热性能和结晶行为．通过土壤悬浊降解培养法研究了材料的生物降解性．结果表明，材料的熔点和熔融焓随OMMT含量的增加而降低．OMMT在纳米复合材料中的均匀分散，使材料形成了小尺寸的结晶，并有效降低了PHBV的结晶度，提高了结晶速率．在土壤悬浊液中该材料的生物降解性随着OMMT含量的增加而降低．     

PHBV/Sol-gel Bioglass多孔材料在模拟生理溶液中的化学反应研究

3-羟基丁酸-co-3-羟基戊酸共聚物(PHBV)/生物活性玻璃(SGBG)是一种用于骨和软骨组织工程支架的新型多孔复合材料,本文探讨了PHBV/SGBG在模拟生理溶液中的一系列化学反应,以及多孔材料在模拟生理溶液中浸泡后的成分和结构变化.研究结果表明,在SBF溶液中浸泡后,SGBG与SBF溶液的离子交换反应和PHBV的降解反应使SBF溶液的离子浓度发生变化,并在PHBV/SGBG表面形成了结晶态类骨碳酸羟基磷灰石.     

纳米材料对PHBV增韧改性的研究进展

聚(β-羟基丁酸酯-β-羟基戊酸酯)(PHBV)是一种拥有生物可降解性、生物相容性、压电性、光学活性等诸多优良特性的热塑性树脂,具有广阔的应用前景。但是PHBV脆性大,韧性差,导致其应用受到限制。本文综述了近年来国内外纳米材料增韧改性PHBV的进展。当纳米材料添加到PHBV时,可以起到异相成核剂的作用,改善结晶性能,从而降低PHBV的脆性。在众多的纳米材料中,纳米纤维素质量轻、强度高、模量大并可生物降解,有希望在不影响PHBV自身降解性的基础上提高其韧性。文章最后概括了目前纳米纤维素增韧PHBV存在的几点问题,同时对用纳米纤维素增韧PHBV的发展前景提出展望。     

Specific interactions in blends of poly(ethylene oxide) and poly(bisphenol A-co-epichlorohydrin): FTIR and thermal study

Blends of poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) of high molecular weight with poly(bisphenol A-co-epichlorohydrin) (PBE) with high epoxy equivalent were studied spectroscopically, thermally and morphologically. As similar systems of low molecular weight, a single T_g was observed for all blends, indicating miscibility. A progressive decrease in the degree of crystallinity and in the size of the PEO spherulites as the PBE is added is also observed. Quantitative analysis from FTIR spectra provided determination of specific interactions between the constituents and their variation with PEO content. Simulations were performed utilising the spectra of the pure polymers to confirm that the observed changes in the experimental spectra of the blends were due to interaction between the polymers.     

Isothermal crystallization of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate)

Isothermal crystallization behavior of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) (PHBV) was investigated by means of differential scanning calorimetry and polarized optical microscopy (POM). The Avrami analysis can be used successfully to describe the isothermal crystallization kinetics of PHBV, which indicates that the Avrami exponent n=3 is good for all the temperatures investigated. The spherulitic growth rate, G, was determined by POM. The result shows that the G has a maximum value at about 353 K. Using the equilibrium melting temperature (448 K) determined by the Flory equation for melting point depression together with U∗=1500 cal mol⁻¹, T_∞=30 K and T_g=278 K, the nucleation parameter K_g was determined, which was found to be 3.14 ± 0.07 × 10⁵ (K²), lower than that for pure PHB. The surface-free energy σ=2.55×10⁻² J m⁻² and σ_e=2.70±0.06×10⁻² J m⁻² were estimated and the work of chain-folding (q=12.5±0.2 kJ mol⁻¹) was derived from σ_e, and found to be lower than that for PHB. This implies that the chains of PHBV are more flexible than that of PHB.     

STUDY ON BIODEGRADABILITY OF POLY（3-HYDROXYBUTYRATE-co-3-HYDROXYVALERATE）／ORGANOPHILIC MONTMORILLONITE NANOCOMPOSITES

Poly (3-lydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate)/Organophilic montmorillonite(PHBV/OMMT) nanocomposites were prepared and the biodegradability of the PHBV/OMMT nanocomposites was studied by a cultivation degrading method in soil suspension The relationship between structure and biodegradability of PHBV/OMMT nanocomposites was investigated. The results showed that the biodegradability of PHBV/OMMT nanocomposites decreased with increasing amount of OMMT and it was related to the number of PHBV degrading microorganisms in degradation environment, the anti-microbial property of OMMT and the degree of crystallinity of the nanocomposites.     

STUDY ON BIODEGRADABILITY OF POLY (3-HYDROXYBUTYRATE-co-3-HYDROXYVALERATE)/ORGANOPHILIC MONTMORILLONITE NANOCOMPOSITES

1. INTRODUCTION Poly (3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) (PHBV) has been recognized as apotential environment-friendly substitute for traditional plastics. The structure, mechanicalproperties and biodegradability of PHBV as biodegradable plastic have been reported by many groups [1-3]. However, PHBV presents some problems, such as high cost, slow crystallization rate, relatively difficult processing and high degree of crystallinity. Therefore, it is difficult to use PHBV widel…     

PHBV/HA骨修复材料的研究

利用硝酸钙与磷酸钠的水溶液制备羟基磷灰石(HA)，同时在HA生成过程中与聚羟基丁酸一戊酸酯(PHBV)复合，探索了HA增强PHBV使之适于作为骨修复材料的一种新途径。结果表明，HA的均匀分散增进了复合材料中两相问的相互结合，能明显地提高复合材料的力学性能。     

Effect of transesterification products on the miscibility and phase behavior of poly(trimethylene terephthalate)/bisphenol A polycarbonate blends

Blends of poly(trimethylene terephthalate)/bisphenol A polycarbonate (PTT/PC) with different compositions were prepared by melt blending. The effect of transesterification on the miscibility and phase behavior of the blends was studied using DSC, DMA, and ¹H NMR. The DMA results revealed a two-phase system with partial miscibility. DSC thermograms of the first heating scan showed a crystallizable system in which addition of PC-phase reduces the degree of crystallinity. However, the cooling and also the second heating scans revealed the complete miscibility of all the blends. It was concluded that annealing at 300 °C (to remove thermal history of the blends) caused the constituents to undergo the transesterification reaction, which changes the blend to a miscible system. The miscibility is due to formation of block copolymers with different block lengths which also suppress the crystallization of the system. The degree of randomness and sequence lengths of the copolymers were determined to analyze the extent of transesterification reaction and structure of the system. It was observed that as the reaction progresses, the degree of randomness increases and the sequence length of the copolymers decreases. Moreover, both increase of reaction time and temperature increased the extent of reaction. The results of DSC and ¹H NMR showed that a small amount of reaction is needed to change this system to a miscible blend.     

聚羟基丁酸-戊酸的非等温热分解反应动力学

用非等温TG-DTA技术, 在5.0、10.0、15.0和20.0 K•min^-1线性升温条件下, 研究聚羟基丁酸-戊酸(PHBV)的热分解反应动力学. 结果表明, 分解过程分三个阶段：分解初期、分解中期和分解后期. 分解初期的机理函数为Avrami-Erofeev方程(n=1/2), 对应随机成核和随后生长机理, 表观活化能E_a(β→0)为69.44 kJ•mol^-1, 指前因子A(β→0)为106.27 s^-1；分解中期的机理函数为Avrami-Erofeev方程(n =2/5), 对应随机成核和随后生长机理, 表观活化能Ea(β→0)为117.64 kJ•mol^-1, 指前因子A(β→0)为10^11.48 s^-1；分解后期的机理函数为Mampel Power法则(n=1/3), 对应机理为幂函数法则, 表观活化能Ea(β→0)为116.64 kJ•mol^-1, 指前因子A(β→0)为10^8.68 s^-1.     

Assessing the mechanical,phase inversion,and rheological properties of poly-[(R)-3-hydroxybutyrate-co-(R)-3-hydroxyvalerate] (PHBV) blended with poly-(l-lactic acid) (PLA)

Poly-(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) (PHBV) and poly-(l-lactic acid) (PLA) have attracted much interest in recent years since they are biodegradable, thus can replace synthetic non-degradable materials. In this study, improvements of PHBV, mechanical, phase inversions, and rheological properties were investigated after blending with PLA in varying ratio’s. Three different blends of commercially available PLAs with 92–98% l-lactide units and one grade of PHB with 5% valerate content were blended using a micro-compounder at 175 °C. The composition of PHBV in blends ranged from 50% to 80%. With the addition of PLA, increases in the flexural strength and elastic modulus were observed for several blends, while minor to no changes were detected in the elongation at break and tensile strength as compared to pure PHBV material. Like many conventional plastics, the complex viscosity decreased with increasing rotational frequency due to decreasing entanglements and molecular weight. The complex viscosity with respect to time was very stable for the blends, but no improvements in the PHBV viscosity were observed with the addition of PLA at 170 °C. Three phase inversion models were used to predict the continuity of the blends, and the results showed both dual- and PLA-continuity phase for the blends. In summary, the mechanical results showed improvements in the tensile and flexural properties, while the rheological observation showed minor improvements in the complex viscosity for numerous concentrations.     

Thermal and photochemical stability of poly(vinyl alcohol)/modified lignin blends

A kraft lignin derivative (KLD) obtained by reaction with p-aminobenzoic acid/phthalic anhydride was blended with poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) by solution casting from DMSO. PVA and PVA/KLD films were exposed to ultraviolet radiation (24, 48, and 96 h) and analyzed by thermogravimetry (TG), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), hydrogen nuclear magnetic resonance (¹H NMR) spectroscopy, and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). PVA films show a loss of thermal stability due to irradiation. PVA/KLD reveals greater thermal stability than PVA and an increase in thermal stability after irradiation. These results suggest that the incorporation of KLD into PVA provides a gain in thermal and photochemical stability. FTIR, ¹H NMR, DSC, and TG results obtained for the blends suggest that intermolecular interactions between PVA and KLD chains are present. SEM micrographs revealed blend miscibility for a KLD blend content of up to 15 wt%, as observed at magnification of 1000 times.     

HYDROGEN-BONDING INDUCED CHANGE OF CRYSTALLIZATION BEHAVIOR OF POLY（BUTYLENE SUCCINATE） IN ITS MIXTURES WITH BISPHENOL A

In the present work, the blend of poly（butylene succinate） （PBS） and bisphenol A （BPA） was prepared by solution mixing, and the intermolecular interactions between the two components were characterized by a combination of nuclear magnetic resonance （NMR） and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy （FTIR）. The results showed that intermolecular hydrogen-bonding forms between the carbonyl group of PBS and phenol hydroxyl of BPA. With the increase of BPA content, more hydrogen bonds were formed. The effect of hydrogen bonding on the crystallization behavior of PBS was investigated by differential scanning calorimetry （DSC） and polarized optical microscopy （POM）. The results showed that the overall isothermal crystallization kinetics and the spherulite growth rate of PBS decrease with the increase of BPA content, while the PBS spherulite size increases with BPA content.     

变温红外光谱研究多嵌段聚氨脂脲的微相分离行为

用傅里叶变换红外光谱方法研究了热处理对由聚环氧丙烷聚醚多元醇、３．５－二乙基甲苯二胺和４，４－二苯基甲烷二异氰酸酯组成的多嵌段聚氨酯脲（ＳＰＵＵ）的微相分离行为的影响．从室温逐步升温到３１０℃的过程中，氨基甲酸酯键（ＵＴ）之间形成的氢键大量解离，而脲键（ＵＡ）之间形成的、具有平面状双分叉结构的氢键在１３０～２００℃范围却大量生成；从３１０℃缓慢冷却到室温后，部分游离的ＵＴ重新形成氢键，而硬段之间形成的ＵＡ氢键的含量又有所增加．结果表明：高温热处理可以有效地提高ＳＰＵＵ的微相分离程度．     

Improvement of mechanical properties of poly(dl-lactide) films by blending of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyhexanoate)

Poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyhexanoate) (PHBHHx) and poly(dl-lactide) (PDLLA) were blended at different ratios in an attempt to form a biomaterial with suitable properties for nerve regeneration. FT-IR and X-ray analysis showed that the blending of the PDLLA component did not alter the helical structure of PHBHHx, but did lead to a reduction of crystallinity. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) analysis indicated that the two polymers were immiscible in the melted state. The mechanical properties of certain composite films were more desirable than those of unblended PDLLA films. Blends consisting of PDLLA and PHBHHx at ratios of 2:1 and 1:2 exhibited a lower elastic modulus and a higher elongation at break compared to unblended PDLLA. ELISA results indicated that the amount of fibronectin adsorbed on composite films was much higher than the amount adsorbed on PDLLA film. The results of this study demonstrate the feasibility of using PDLLA/PHBHHx blended materials for biomedical applications.     

Thermal,mechanical and rheological properties of biodegradable poly(propylene carbonate) and poly(butylene carbonate) blends

Poly(propylene carbonate)(PPC) was melt blended in a batch mixer with poly(butylene carbonate)(PBC) in an effort to improve the toughness of the PPC without compromising its biodegradability and biocompatibility. DMA results showed that the PPC/PBC blends were an immiscible two-phase system. With the increase in PBC content, the PPC/PBC blends showed decreased tensile strength, however, the elongation at break was increased to 230% for the 50/50 PPC/PBC blend. From the tensile strength experiments, the Pukanszky model gave credit to the modest interfacial adhesion between PPC and PBC, although PPC/PBC was immscible. The impact strength increased significantly which indicated the toughening effects of the PBC on PPC. SEM examination showed that cavitation and shear yielding were the major toughening mechanisms in the blends subjected the impact tests. TGA measurements showed that the thermal stability of PPC decreased with the incorporation of PBC. Rheological investigation demonstrated that the addition of PBC reduced the value of storage modulus, loss modulus and complex viscosity of the PPC/PBC blends to some extent. Moreover, the addition of PBC was found to increase the processability of PPC in extrusion. The introduction of PBC provided an efficient and novel toughened method to extend the application area of PPC.     

Effect of PEG on the crystallization of PPDO/PEG blends

A new biodegradable polymer system, poly(p-dioxanone) (PPDO)/poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) blend was prepared by a solvent casting method using chloroform as a co-solvent. The PPDO/PEG blends have different weight ratios of 95/5, 90/10, 80/20 and 70/30. Crystallization of homopolymers and blends were investigated by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and wide-angle X-ray diffraction (WAXD). When 5% of PEG was blended, the crystallization exothermal peaks (T_c) of PPDO increased sharply and the crystallization exothermal peaks (T_c) of PEG decreased slightly compared with the homopolymers. The crystallization rates of both components increased, and caused greater relative crystallization degree (X_t%). But when the content of PEG was more than 5%, the crystalline behaviors of blends had no more significant changes accordingly. The melting points of each sample varied little over the entire composition range in this study. The nonisothermal crystallization of PPDO homopolymer and blend (PPDO/PEG = 70/30) were also studied by DSC. The crystallization began at a higher temperature when the cooling rates were slower. The nonisothermal crystallization kinetics of blends was analyzed by Ozawa equation. The results showed that the Ozawa equation failed to describe the whole crystallization of the blend, but Mo equation could depict the nonisothermal crystallization perfectly.     

Fire retardant poly(ethylene terephthalate)/polycarbonate/triphenyl phosphite blends

Flame retardant recycled PET blends containing PC and triphenyl phosphite (TPP) have been designed using the following sequential processing strategy: PET and PC are first melt blended with a transesterification catalyst, allowing the compatibilisation of the blend, before adding TPP. The presence of this last component was shown to stop the transesterification reaction between PET and PC, avoiding chain breaking. In addition, TPP acts as a chain extender of PET, allowing the average chain length to be increased. The optimized blends obtained present “V-0” UL94 rating due to a better thermal stability leading to low flammability and to the development of an important, stable and covering char layer, resulting in self-extinguishability and very low Heat Release Rates during combustion.     

Electrochemical sensor based on f-SWCNT and carboxylic group functionalized PEDOT for the sensitive determination of bisphenol A

A simple,sensitive,and reliable method for the voltammetric determination of bisphenol A(BPA) by using carboxylic group functionalized single-walled carbon nanotubes(f-SWCNT)/carboxylic-functionalized poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene)(PC4) complex modified glassy carbon electrode(GCE) has been successfully developed.The electrochemical behavior of BPA at the surface of the modified electrode is investigated by electrochemical techniques.The cyclic voltammetry results show that the as-prepared electrode exhibits strong catalytic activity toward the oxidation of BPA with a well-defined anodic peak at 0.623 V in PBS(0.1 mol/L,pH 7.0).The surface morphology of the 3D network of composite film is beneficial for the adsorption of analytes.Under the optimized conditions,the oxidation peak current is proportional to BPA concentration in the range between 0.099 and 5.794 μmol/L(R~2 = 0.9989),with a limit of detection of 0.032 μmol/L(S/N = 3).The enhanced performance of the sensor can be attributed to the excellent electrocatalytic property of/-SWCNT and the extraordinary conductivity of PC4.Furthermore,the proposed modified electrode displays high stability and good reproducibility.The good result on the voltammetric determination of BPA also indicates that the asfabricated modified electrode will be a good candidate for the electrochemical determination and analysis of BPA.