Effects of hydroxyvalerate contents in thermal degradation kinetic of cellulose acetate propionate/poly(3-hydroxyalkanoates) blends

Thermal stability of polymers is an important parameter that determines the application as well as the processing conditions. The green polymers have shown low thermal stability, such as the polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs). The PHAs with different comonomers containing hydroxyvalerate (HV) were studied. It was seen that the green polymer showed a fast thermal degradation process. The addition of the HV comonomer modified this profile and the thermal degradation kinetic. The blend prepared between the PHAs and other polymers can modify the thermal degradation process of the green polymers. In the present study, blends of cellulose acetate propionate and PHAs were prepared, and the thermal degradation kinetics of these blends were evaluated. It was observed that the cellulose acetate propionate (CAP) phase in the blends modified the thermal degradation process and kinetic profile of the PHA phase. In the blends, the thermal stability of the PHAs was slightly modified because of CAP reducing the reactivity of the PHAs. On the other hand, the thermal stability of the CAP phase in the blends is not largely modified by the PHA phase. However, the hydroxyvalerate comonomer decreases the reactivity of the CAP phase at the start of thermal degradation of the same. The interaction between the phases promotes the synergetic interaction, which slightly improves the thermal stability of the two polymers blends.