Sustainable Polycaprolactone Polyol-Based Thermoplastic Poly(ester ester) Elastomers Showing Superior Mechanical...

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Polymer Chemistry
• Sustainable Materials

Background:

• Thermoplastic elastomers (TPEs) offer unique properties for industrial and biomedical uses.
• Reducing plastic waste and developing high-performance materials are key challenges.

Purpose of the Study:

• To synthesize biodegradable polycaprolactone (PCL) polyols.
• To develop novel thermoplastic poly(ester ester) elastomers using PCL as soft segments.
• To compare the properties of PCL-based TPEs with conventional poly(ether ester) TPEs.

Main Methods:

• Ring-opening polymerization of ε-caprolactone using a heterogeneous double metal cyanide catalyst to produce α,ω-hydroxyl-terminated PCL polyols.
• Synthesis of thermoplastic poly(ester ester) elastomers using PCL polyols.
• Characterization and comparison of mechanical properties and biodegradability of PCL-based TPEs versus PTMEG-based TPEs.

Main Results:

• PCL polyols with controlled molecular weights and low polydispersity were successfully synthesized.
• PCL-based TPEs exhibited superior ultimate strength (39.7 MPa) compared to PTMEG-based TPEs (23.4 MPa).
• PCL-based TPEs demonstrated significantly higher biodegradability (47.6%) than PTMEG-based TPEs (24.3%).

Conclusions:

• Biodegradable PCL polyols are effective soft segments for high-performance TPEs.
• PCL-based TPEs offer improved mechanical properties and enhanced biodegradability over polyether counterparts.
• This approach presents a sustainable pathway for developing advanced biodegradable elastomers.