Novel tunable super-tough materials from biodegradable polymer blends: nano-structuring through reactive extrusion
Feng Wu1,2, Manjusri Misra1,2, Amar K Mohanty1,2
1Bioproduct Discovery and Development Centre, Department of Plant Agriculture, University of Guelph Crop Science Building Guelph ON N1G 2W1 Ontario Canada mohanty@uoguelph.ca.
RSC Advances
|May 6, 2022
Summary
Researchers created compatible nano-blends of polybutylene succinate (PBS) and polybutylene adipate terephthalate (PBAT) using reactive extrusion. This nano-structuring significantly enhanced the impact strength and Young
Area of Science:
- Polymer Science and Engineering
- Materials Science
- Nanotechnology
Background:
- Structuring polymer blends at the nanoscale is crucial for enhancing thermomechanical properties.
- Achieving compatibility between biodegradable polymers like polybutylene succinate (PBS) and polybutylene adipate terephthalate (PBAT) is challenging.
- Reactive extrusion offers a pathway for modifying polymer blends through controlled chemical reactions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a strategy for fabricating compatible PBS-PBAT nano-blends.
- To investigate the effect of nano-structuring on the mechanical properties of PBS-PBAT blends.
- To elucidate the reaction mechanisms governing nano-blend formation during reactive extrusion.
Main Methods:
- Fabrication of PBS-PBAT blends using reactive extrusion with minimal free radical content.
- Characterization of blend morphology using Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) and Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM).
- Evaluation of mechanical properties, including notched impact strength and Young's modulus.
- In situ rheological monitoring and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) for mechanistic studies.
Main Results:
- Successfully created nano-blends with dispersed PBAT particles (<100 nm) within a PBS matrix, surrounded by PBS-PBAT co-polymers.
- Achieved a 1200% increase in notched impact strength and a 15% increase in Young's modulus for PBS with 5 wt% PBAT.
- Demonstrated the transformation from a partially compatible micro-blend to a fully compatible nano-blend.
- Identified reaction kinetics favoring co-polymer formation over self-decomposition or crosslinking.
Conclusions:
- Nano-structuring via reactive extrusion is an effective strategy for compatibilizing PBS-PBAT blends.
- The formation of co-polymers plays a critical role in achieving enhanced mechanical properties at the nanoscale.
- This approach offers a route to significantly improve the performance of biodegradable polymer blends.
