Physical Properties of the Biodegradable Polymer Compositions Containing Natural Polyesters and their Synthetic Analogues

The thermal, mechanical and thermo-mechanical properties of polymer compositions, containing synthetic biodegradable polymers i.e. polylacide (PLA) and aliphatic-aromatic copolyester (BTA), natural biopolyester n-PHB and its synthetic atactic analog (a-PHB) were investigated. Thermal properties of the polymer compositions were studied by means of DSC . The compositions of various polymer weight ratio were tested. Compositions containing BTA and n-PHB create polyphase systems, what was confirmed by DSC. In this case the two Tg and two Tm values were observed. Polymer compositions containing PLA and BTA showed different behaviours. At the BTA content up to 30 weight % only one Tg and one Tm were indicated. At the increase of the BTA content to 50% weight and above, the two Tg, and two Tm were observed. Mixtures of BTA with n-PHB, PLA and with a-PHB show considerably greater values of the strain (ε) in comparison with initial polymers (n-PHB, PLA). It was found that in contrary to mixtures containing PLA, at the BTA content in the mixture with n-PHB above 50% of weights increases not only the strain, but also the stress at break (σ). Strong increase of the ε value in PLA/a-PHB mixtures with the content of a-PHB above 30% of weights were observed.