Degradation Study of Polymers from Renewable Resources and their Compositions in Industrial Composting Pile

Summary: Polyesters produced from renewable resources and susceptible to hydrolysis under the industrial composting conditions offer ecological advantages as compared to thermoplastics polymers and elastomers produced from fossil carbon sources. In this paper the degradation behaviour of polymer compositions of BTA, PLA and a-PHB in natural environment of industrial composting pile, consisting of leaves - 40%, branches - 30% and grass - 30%, have been presented. The extend of degradation was monitored by macroscopic observations of sample surfaces, changes of molecular weight, polydispersity and composition of the tested materials and their weight loss.     

Study of the influence of plasticizers on the thermal and mechanical properties of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) compounds

The influence of four types of plasticizers, dioctyl phthalate (DOP), dioctyl adipate (DOA), triacetyl glycerol (TAG) and polyadipate (PA), in the thermal and mechanical properties of Poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) (PHB), a highly crystalline biodegradable polyester, was evaluated in this work. The plasticizers were introduced alone or mixtures of them, using concentrations that varied from 5 to 30% wt. Their influence in some important polymer parameters as Tg, Tm and degree of crystallinity, and on its mechanical behavior, elongation and tensile strain were investigated. The best results were obtained for the sample with 30% TAG and that one using a binary mixture of plasticizers PA 20% and TAG 10%.     

Progress of Polymerization of D,L-Lactide Through Differential Scanning Calorimetry and Gel Permeation Chromatography

Melt polymerization conditions for D,L-lactide initiated with tetraphenyltin were studied with regard to polymer molecular weight. The present study was undertaken to investigate the progress of polymerization of D,L-lactide through differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and also to explore the correlation between melt polymerization conditions and molecular weight. The physical characteristics, such as glass transition temperature (Tg) of the polymer and melting transition (Tm) of D,L-lactide are correlated with GPC data. DSC data shows that the Tm of D,L-lactide is 122.8 at 150°C polymerization time. ΔHf is 83.2 J g-1, and Tg of polymer is untraceable. At 180°C the Tm is 101.4°C, ΔHf is 34 J g-1, and Tg is around 29.5°C. The drop in Tm and ΔHf clearly shows the conversion of D,L-lactide to polymer. The maximum increment to molecular weight of polymer is achieved at 160°C and 8 h. After a short induction period, the slow polymerization of D,L-lactide resulted in maximal molecular weight followed by an almost constant value of molecular weight. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Novel Shape-Memory Polymer with Two Transition Temperature Based on Two Different Memory Mechanism

As an important kind of intelligent materials, shape-memory materials have been received increasing attention on account of their interesting properties and potential applications in recent years. Particularly, the rise of shape-memory polymers by far surpasses well-known metallic shape-memory alloys in their shape-memory properties. The advantages of polymers compared to other materials are their easier availability and their wide range of mechanical and physical properties. The polymers designed to exhibit a shape-memory effect require two components on the molecular level: crosslinks to determine the permanent shape and switching segments with Ttrans to fix the temporary shape. Up to now almost all papers on shape-memory polymers introduce switching segments with the covalent linking method. On the other hand, only several cases concern non-covalent interaction. However, the research works mentioned above is based on a single Ttrans (i.e., Tm or Tg).Following our previous work, here, we first report a novel kind of polymer consisted of PMMA-PEG semi-interpenetrating polymer networks (semi-IPN), which exhibiting independently two shape memory effects based on Tm and Tg, respectively. This result can also extend the shape memory polymer categories from one Ttrans to two Ttrans, and the combination of Tm and Tg give rise to an extremely excellent shape-memory effect.Two different shape memory behaviors of this material based on two transition temperatures were evaluated by bending test as follows: a straight strip of the specimen was folded at a temperature above Ttrans and kept in this shape. The so-deformed sample was cooled down to a temperature Tlow＜ Ttrans and the deforming stress were released. When the sample was heated up to the measuring temperature Thigh ＞ Ttrans, it recovered its initial shape. The deformation angle θ f varied as a function of time and the ratio of the recovery was defined as θ f /180. The PMMA-PEG polymer behaved as a hard plastic at room temperature and did not deform at all under a given stress. However, if upon cooling; even after unloading, it did not recover the initial shape. When the polymer was ratio reach 90%. This observation illustrates that the shape memory phenomenon with 90%recovery ratio was found to be archived by changing the operation temperature below and above of Tm of crystalline PEG, which is based on a reversible order-disorder transition of crystalline aggregates. Similarly, the investigation on the shape memory transitin at Tg that when the sample (above Tg of the semi-IPN), the polymer showed second shape memory behavior, and quickly recovered to initial shape in 45s with shape recovery ratio more than 99%.     

A study of morphological,thermal, rheological and barrier properties of Poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-Co-3-Hydroxyvalerate)/polylactide blends prepared by melt mixing

The paper aims to study blend properties of biodegradable polymers of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) (PHBV) and polylactide (PLA) prepared by melt mixing. Blend compositions based on PHBV/PLA were investigated according to the following weight ratios, i.e. 100/0, 75/25, 50/50, 25/75 and 0/100 wt%. The study showed through scanning electron microscopy (SEM) that blends of PHBV/PLA are not miscible. This is consistent with differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) data which indicate the presence of two distinct glass transition temperatures (T_g) and melting temperatures (T_m), attributed to the neat polymers, over all the range of blend compositions. Water and oxygen barrier properties of PHBV/PLA blends are significantly improved with increasing the PHBV content in the blend. Further, morphological analyzes indicated that increasing the PHBV content in the polymer blends results in increasing the PLA crystallinity due to the finely dispersed PHBV crystals acting as a filler and a nucleating agent for PLA. On the other hand, the addition of PLA to the blend results in a very impressive increase in the complex viscosity of PHBV. Moreover, the rheological data showed that, excluding the specific behavior of the neat polymers at low frequencies, i.e. less than 0.1 Hz, the complex viscosity of PHBV/PLA blends fits the mixing law well.     

Use of microperlite in direct polymerization of lactic acid

PLA is one of the most frequently used biodegradable polymers. In this work, PLA was synthesized by direct condensation polymerization of lactic acid in the presence of microperlite to obtain enhanced thermal stability of PLA polymer. Molecular weights of the synthesized polymers were determined by GPC. Chemical structure analyses was done by FTIR. The degree of crystallinity was evaluated by DSC and XRD. Thermal stability of polymers was investigated by DSC and TGA. It has been observed that the existence of perlite has significantly increased the crystallinity and degradation temperature, therefore, enhanced the thermal stability of the PLA.     

Thermal conductivity behaviour of polymers around glass transition and crystalline melting temperatures

The thermal conductivity of five semi-crystalline and four amorphous polymers was determined within a wide range of temperature, starting at room temperature and going up to temperatures above the polymer melting point (Tm) for semi-crystalline polymers or above the glass transition temperature (Tg) for amorphous polymers. Two transient techniques were employed in the experimental investigation: the hot wire technique for the group of amorphous polymers, and the laser flash technique for the semicrystalline polymers. As expected, the experimental results show that Tg exerts a measureable influence on the thermal conductivity of amorphous polymers. In the case of semi-crystalline polymers, a singular behaviour of the thermal conductivity is observed within the Tm range. In order to explain the anomalous behaviour, the influence of these transition temperatures on the thermal conductivity behaviour with temperature has been analysed in terms of a phonon conduction process and temperature variations of specific heat and modulus of elasticity of the analyzed polymers.     

聚醚醚酮醚酮的合成与表征

聚醚醚酮（ＰＥＥＫ）自工业化以来［１］，由于其优异的性能已在机械、航天等领域得到广泛应用．各种聚芳醚酮类聚合物相继被开发出来．但以亲电缩聚路线制备聚醚醚酮醚酮（ＰＥＥＫＥＫ）的报道较少［２］．本文以二苯醚和４－氟苯甲酰氯为主要反应试剂，采取付氏酰基化...     

Poly[2-(N,N-Dimethylamino) Ethyl Methacrylate] /Poly(Styrene-Co-Methacrylic Acid) Interpolymer Complexes

Summary: Poly[2-(N,N-dimethylamino)ethyl methacrylate] (PDMAEMA), copolymers of different compositions of styrene with 2-(N,N-dimethylamino)ethyl methacrylate (SDMAEMA) or methacrylic acid (SMA) were synthesized by free radical polymerization and characterized by several techniques. Different ternary mixtures containing proton-acceptors PDMAEMA or SDMAEMA, proton-donor copolymers SMA and a solvent (butan-2-one or THF) were prepared. The present study, that investigated several factors that affected the phase behaviors of the ternary mixtures above, confirmed that, indeed depending on the nature of solvent, densities of interacting species, amounts of efficient specific interactions that occurred between the two copolymers, interpolymer complexes of different structures were elaborated. The complexation phenomena, observed with these different systems were analyzed in solution by viscometry that confirmed these effects in monitoring the formation of interpolymer complexes. The specific interactions that occurred between pairs of polymers of each system above were qualitatively evidenced by FTIR spectroscopy from the appearance of new bands or their new redistribution. The glass transition temperature Tg of the obtained complexes of different structures determined by DSC varied differently with the weight fraction of one of the copolymers. These various Tg-compositions were analyzed using the Kwei and Brostow et al. approach recently developed. Thermal analysis of some of the elaborated complexes, examined by thermogravimetry, confirmed their improved thermal stability.     

Mechanical and thermal properties of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) blends with starch and starch derivatives

Poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) (PHB) is a highly crystalline, biodegradable and biocompatible thermoplastic. However, its limited utilization as a commodity plastic is associated to both high cost and very poor mechanical properties. Blending PHB with a natural polymer, such as starch, is one way to improve its properties and to get low price raw materials, though they are not miscible since there are no strong interactions between the hydrophilic starch and the hydrophobic PHB. In this study binary blends of PHB were prepared with natural starch, starch-adipate and grafted starch-urethane derivatives. The PHB blends were characterized in terms of their mechanical and thermal properties. For all blends a decrease of the Young modulus was observed as compared to the pure PHB. However, blends containing natural starches and starch adipate resulted in brittle materials. A significant decrease of both glass transition temperature (Tg) and melting point (Tm) was observed for all formulations. The best results, lower modulus and Tg were obtained with grafted starch-urethane blends using poly(propylene glycol).     

Thermal characteristics of poly (DL-lactic acid) microspheres containing neurotensin analogue.

The thermal characteristics of poly (DL-lactic acid) (DL-PLA) microspheres containing a hexapeptide (NA: H(CH3)-Arg-Lys-Pro-Trp-tert-Leu-Leu-OEt) with neurotensin activity were investigated. PLA microspheres with a drug content of 1.5-11.0% were prepared by a novel o/w (oil-in-water) solvent evaporation method. Both DL-PLA and NA were amorphous in form, and an increase in heat capacity at glass transition temperature (Tg) of the polymer was observed in DL-PLA microspheres containing NA. The Tg of DL-PLA (PLA2000 bulk) was 307.8 K, while Tg of microspheres containing NA (content 6.0%) shifted to 321.2 K. The Tg of PLA2000 microspheres was found to increase with an increase in the content of NA, and its increasing tendency reached a plateau at an NA content of greater than 6%. The apparent activation energy of glass transition of PLA2000 bulk and the microspheres was calculated to be 86.3 and 99.3 kcal/mol, respectively. As a result of the release test after storage at 4 degrees C and 40 degrees C for 1 month, nearly the same release profiles of NA from PLA2000 microspheres were found. The release rate of NA after the initial release became slow after storage at 45 degrees C for 1 month. This may be attributed mainly to a decrease in surface area caused by the formation of agglomerates of PLA2000 microspheres under conditions near Tg.     

含芳酯侧基聚芳醚酮的合成与性能

以偏苯三甲酸酐酰氯(TMAc),对苯二甲酰氯(TPC),1,4-二(4-苯氧基苯甲酰基)苯(p-EKKE)为单体,采用亲电溶液共缩聚,通过改变TMAc、TPC的摩尔比,制备了系列含羧基侧基的聚芳醚酮树脂(PEK-A).在对甲苯磺酸催化下与苯酚进行酯化反应合成了系列主链带芳酯侧基的聚芳醚酮树脂(PEK-COO-Ar).用...     

Preparation and characterization of biodegradable poly(lactic acid)‐ block‐poly(ε‐caprolactone) multiblock copolymer

Biodegradable copolymers of poly(lactic acid)‐block‐poly(ε‐caprolactone) (PLA‐b‐PCL) were successfully prepared by two steps. In the first step, lactic acid monomer is oligomerized to low molecular weight prepolymer and copolymerized with the (ε‐caprolactone) diol to prepolymer, and then the molecular weight is raised by joining prepolymer chains together using 1,6‐hexamethylene diisocyanate (HDI) as the chain extender. The polymer was carefully characterized by using ¹H‐NMR analysis, gel permeation chromatography (GPC), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The results of ¹H‐NMR and TGA indicate PLA‐b‐PCL prepolymer with number average molecular weights (M_n) of 4000–6000 were obtained. When PCL‐diols are 10 wt%, copolymer is better for chain extension reaction to obtain the polymer with high molecular weight. After chain extension, the weight average molecular weight can reach 250,000 g/mol, as determined by GPC, when the molar ratio of –NCO to –OH was 3:1. DSC curve showed that the degree of crystallization of PLA–PCL copolymer was low, even became amorphous after chain extended reaction. The product exhibits superior mechanical properties with elongation at break above 297% that is much higher than that of PLA chain extended products. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Synthesis and properties of new aromatic polyisophthalamides with adamantylamide pendent groups

A new diacid monomer containing a pendent adamantyl ring was reacted with various aromatic diamines to prepare novel aromatic polyisophthalamides (PIPAs). The polymers were obtained in high yield and high molecular weight by the Yamazaki‐Higashi phosphorylation method of polycondensation. Inherent viscosities ranged from 0.40 to 0.82 dL/g, which corresponds to weight‐average and number‐average molecular weights (GPC) in the range 21,000–63,000 g/mol and 9000–31,000 g/mol, respectively. The polymers were essentially amorphous and soluble in a variety of polar aprotic solvents, and they afforded transparent, creasable films by the solution‐casting method. The great size of the polyhedral adamantyl moiety brought about a significant restriction of segmental mobility, which translated into a strong increase of T_g, so that very high glass transition temperatures were observed, in the range 335–370 °C (DSC), which are 70–90 °C above the glass transition temperatures of homologous PIPAs without pendent groups. Thus, it can be stated that these adamantyl containing polyamides are among the soluble aromatic PIPAs with highest T_g ever described. Conversely, the initial decomposition temperature, as measured by thermogravimetric analysis, was about 400 °C, which is lower by 40–70° than that of unsubstituted counterparts. Polymer films exhibited good mechanical properties, with tensile strengths over 65 MPa and tensile moduli between 2.0 and 2.6 GPa. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 48: 1743–1751, 2010     

Blends of poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) with PMMA ionomers: Mechanical properties

Rigid–rigid blends made of ionomer and ionomer precursor polymer, based on poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA), have been investigated. Two series of blends have been prepared for studying mechanical properties. In one series, dynamic mechanical properties were determined over a wide range of temperatures. As the weight fraction of the ionomer was increased, there was a modest increase of modulus at ambient temperature and a very large increase in the rubbery modulus at elevated temperatures above the glass transition temperature of PMMA. In a second series of tests, tensile stress–strain measurements, made at an ambient temperature, were carried out over a wide range of blend compositions. For all blends tested, the mechanical properties exhibited a synergistic enhancement, i.e., average values of modulus, strength and fracture energy were all higher than expected based on the rule of mixtures. Measurements of fracture toughness also exhibited synergy, with a maximum value, higher than the value of either blend component, being attained in blends containing about 30 wt % of the PMMA ionomer. These results are interpreted in terms of a higher resistance to fracture of the more chain-entangled ionomer phase and good interfacial adhesion between the two components of the blend. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci B: Polym Phys 36: 1235–1245, 1998     

Graphene oxide crosslinker for the enhancement of mechanical properties of polylactic acid

Polylactic acid (PLA) biopolymer appears to provide environmental advantages over the petroleum-derived polymers but often ends up with limited applications owing to their poor mechanical performance and brittleness. Herein, we present a PLA polymer compatible graphene oxide (GO) based crosslinker with the intention of improving the mechanical properties. Lactic acid (LA) functionalized GO (GO-LA) crosslinker was prepared and had been crosslinked with the PLA chains through a one-step polycondensation reaction. The mechanical properties of the as-synthesized GO crosslinked PLA (GO-C-PLA) were investigated by compression tests and compared with neat PLA, and GO reinforced PLA (GO-PLA) with no crosslinking. With 0.3% of GO-LA crosslinker in GO-C-PLA, the compressive modulus increased by nine times compared to that of the neat PLA. The compressive strength also increased to 46 MPa, which was four times higher than the neat PLA. This strategy for improving the mechanical properties by introducing GO-based crosslinker can be used potentially for many polycondensation polymers and thus be useful for many high-performance applications.     

Synthesis and Characterization of New Polymer Systems Containing 4‐Silylmethylstyrene Units

A series of terpolymers containing silyl pendant groups were prepared by free radical cross‐linking copolymerization. Et₃Si and HMe₂Si were covalently linked with 4‐vinylbenzyl and abbreviated as TESiMSt and DMSiMSt, respectively. Et₃Si was covalently linked with 2‐hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA). The silyl‐linked HEMA are abbreviated as TESiEMA. Free radical terpolymerization of the methacrylic acid (MAA) with different molar ratios of organosilyl monomers was carried out at 60–70 °C. The compositions of the polymers were determined by FT‐IR spectroscopy and ¹H‐NMR. The glass transition temperature (Tg) of the polymers was determined calorimetrically. The study of DSC curves showed that incorporation of monomers with cyclic units in polymer chains increases the rigidity of terpolymers and the Tg value is subsequently increased.     

生物可降解聚丁二酸/甲基丁二酸丁二酯系列共聚物的合成和表征

摘要合成了一系列聚丁二酸/甲基丁二酸丁二醇共聚酯(PBSM), 利用DSC, ¹H NMR和X射线衍射等方法对共聚物组成、 热学性能、 结晶性能、 等温结晶行为进行了研究. 结果表明, 引入甲基丁二酸共聚单元较为显著地改变了聚丁二酸丁二酯(PBS)的热学性能, 利用Hoffman\|Weeks方程得到的共聚物平衡熔点随共聚物的组分含量增加而降低, 玻璃化转变温度亦有所降低, 熔点则符合无规共聚物的Flory方程. 此外, 利用Avrami方程分别研究了均聚物PBS及共聚物PBSM-20的等温结晶行为, 结果表明, 在所研究的温度范围内, 聚酯结晶速率随温度升高而降低, PBS和PBSM\-20的Avrami指数分别介于2.8~3.0和2.7~3.0之间, 结晶方式为三维生长异相成核, 而X射线衍射测试结果表明晶体结构几乎不变.     

Structure and properties of thin films of binary rodlike/flexible polyimide mixtures

Binary mixtures of a rodlike poly(p-phenylene pyromellitimide) (PMDA-PDA) and a flexible 6F-BDAF polyimide synthesized from hexafluoroisopropylidene diphthalic anhydride and 2,2-bis(4-aminophenoxy-p-phenylene) hexafluoropropane were prepared by solution-blending of the meta-PMDA-PDA poly(amic ethyl ester) and 6F-BDAF poly(amic acid) precursors, followed by solvent evaporation and thermal imidization. Mixtures containing different molecular weights of 6F-BDAF poly(amic acid) were studied. The size scale of the phase separation, as measured by light scattering, is ca. 1 μm or smaller in most cases. The domain size is primarily set by the demixing of the precursor polymers during solvent evaporation, with no significant coarsening observed during the thermal imidization. The observed variation of the domain size with molecular and process parameters such as composition, molecular weight, and film thickness is discussed in terms of the miscibility of the precursor polymers, rate of solvent evaporation, and solidification. Dynamic mechanical thermal analysis and dielectric relaxation measurements indicate that the glass transition temperature of 6F-BDAF is unaffected in all of the mixtures studied, indicating complete demixing of rodlike and flexible polyimides in agreement with theory. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy results show a strong surface segregation of 6F-BDAF in mixtures containing as low as 10% by weight of the 6F-BDAF component in the bulk. The mixtures with PMDA-PDA as the major matrix component therefore exhibit excellent mechanical toughness, dimensional stability up to 500°C, low coefficients of thermal expansion (< ca. 10 ppm/°C), and low dielectric constants (<3.0). On the other hand, the surface properties of the mixtures are dominated by the flexible 6F-BDAF, resulting in excellent polymer/polymer self-adhesion (lamination) properties between fully imidized films.     

Tough blends of poly(lactide) and amorphous poly([R,S]-3-hydroxy butyrate) – morphology and properties

Polylactide (PLA), a biodegradable polymer, produced from annually renewable natural resources, has a glass transition temperature in the range of 50–60 °C and is stiff and brittle at room temperature. In this communication we demonstrate that blending of PLA with atactic poly([R,S]-3-hydroxy butyrate) (a-PHB) leads to significant improvement of drawability and impact strength. The blends of PLA with a-PHB are biodegradable, similarly to plain PLA, and can be considered as a potential material for packaging, especially for food.