Crystallization kinetics and miscibility of blends of polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) with ethylene vinyl acetate copolymers (EVA)

Abstract

AbstractA series of ethylene vinyl acetate random copolymer EVA, with vinyl acetate (VA) varied from 9 to 91m%, was investigated by differential scanning calorimetry DSC and polarized optical microscopy. Biodegradable polymer blends of polyhydroxybutyrate PHB and EVA, having VA in EVA in range from 40m% till 91m%, were prepared by film casting from a chloroform solution. The miscibility and crystallization behavior of these blends were investigated. The isothermal crystallization behaviors of PHB and PHB/EVA blends are discussed in terms of the half time of crystallization t1/2. Experimental results indicated that blends of PHB/ EVA91 are completely miscible blend in the entire (0 to 100 m%) compositional ranges. Blends PHB/ EVA, for VA varied from 40 till 70 m% are immiscible as evidenced by the existence of unchanged composition independent glass transition temperatures (Tg), crystallization and melting behavior. The isothermal crystallization of PHB blends was investigated from room temperature till 130 °C. 80 °C was found to be the best temperature for comparison of different blends. At 80 °C t1/2 strongly depends on the content of VA in PHB/EVA blend, mainly due to differences in miscibility as well as due to differences in segmental mobility as identified by differences in glass transition temperature. Since both components in PHB/EVA80, pure PHB and pure EVA80, have glass transition temperatures close to 0 °C, it is difficult to decide its miscibility from Tg. However from the strong dependence of the value of crystallization half time t1/2 of PHB/EVA80 on blend composition, it was possible to reasonably infer that PHB/EVA80 is partially miscible.