Impact-Resistant Poly(3-Hydroxybutyrate)/Poly(ε-Caprolactone)-Based Materials, through Reactive Melt Processing, for...

Area of Science:

• Polymer Science
• Materials Science
• Biomaterials Engineering

Background:

• Biobased and biocompatible polymers like polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) are crucial for green chemistry and sustainable material strategies.
• Polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB), a type of PHA, exhibits desirable biocompatibility but suffers from high crystallinity and brittleness.
• Improving PHB's mechanical properties, specifically reducing Young's modulus and increasing ductility, is essential for broader applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop melt-processed PHB/PCL blends with enhanced physico-mechanical properties.
• To improve the ductility and impact resistance of polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB).
• To explore the potential of these blends for advanced applications like 3D-printed biomaterials.

Main Methods:

• Combining PHB with ductile poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL) to create melt-processed materials.
• Utilizing dicumyl peroxide (DCP) as a compatibilizer during reaction extrusion to promote interchain reactions in PHB/PCL blends.
• Incorporating low molecular weight polyethylene glycol (PEG) as a plasticizer to further modify mechanical properties.

Main Results:

• PHB/PCL-DCP blends showed increased elongation at break and significantly improved impact resistance (7.2 kJ.m⁻²).
• Addition of PEG as a plasticizer further decreased Young's modulus and enhanced impact resistance to 15 kJ.m⁻².
• Successful 3D printing of the modified PHB/PCL blends using fused deposition melting (FDM) for prosthetic finger fabrication.

Conclusions:

• The developed PHB/PCL blends exhibit improved mechanical properties, addressing the brittleness of pure PHB.
• The use of DCP as a compatibilizer and PEG as a plasticizer effectively enhances blend performance.
• These enhanced biomaterials hold significant potential for fabricating complex structures via 3D printing, particularly for biomedical applications.