Effect of Composition on the Crystallization, Water Absorption, and Biodegradation of Poly(ε-caprolactam-co-ε-caprolactone) Copolymers.

Yuanyuan Dou,Ni Jiang,Zhihua Gan,Zhenbo Ning,Xinyu Mu,Yuting Chen

doi:10.3390/polym12112488

Yuanyuan Dou, Ni Jiang + Show 4 more

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https://doi.org/10.3390/polym12112488

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Journal: Polymers	Publication Date: Oct 27, 2020
Citations: 4	License type: CC BY 4.0

Affiliation: Beijing University of Chemical Technology

Abstract

Poly(ester amide)s have aroused extensive research interest due to the combination of the degradability of polyester and the higher mechanical properties of polyamide. In this work, a series of poly(ε-caprolactam-co-ε-caprolactone) (P(CLA-co-CLO)) copolymers with different compositions were synthesized by anionic copolymerization. The structure, crystallization behavior, water absorption, and biodegradation behavior of these copolymers were investigated by means of nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), wide-angle X-ray diffraction (WAXD), and polarized optical micrographs (POM). The results indicated that the composition of P(CLA-co-CLO) copolymers can be adjusted by the molar feed ratio. The PCL blocks decreased the crystallization rate of PA6 blocks but had little effect on the melting behavior of PA6, while the crystallized PA6 acted as a heterogeneous nucleating agent and greatly improved the crystallization rate of PCL. Moreover, the introduction of PCL blocks greatly reduced the water absorption of P(CLA-co-CLO) copolymers and endow them a certain degree of degradability.

Highlights

Aliphatic polyesters are a type of biodegradable polymer that have attracted great interest in the fields of biomedicine, agriculture, and packaging [1]
P(CLA-co-CLO) copolymers with different compositions were synthesized through anionic copolymerization with caprolactam sodium as catalyst and diisocyanate C20P as activator
The chemical structure and composition of the P(CLA-co-CLO) copolymers were characterized by 1 H nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and

Summary

Introduction

Aliphatic polyesters are a type of biodegradable polymer that have attracted great interest in the fields of biomedicine, agriculture, and packaging [1]. Poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL) is a widely used commercial aliphatic polyester with good biocompatibility, degradability, and crystallinity. The poor mechanical strength of PCL limits its application [2]. Polyamide (PA) is currently one of the engineering plastics with the largest consumption and the widest application range. Strong hydrogen bonds formed between amide groups impart excellent thermal and mechanical properties, but on the other hand, they result in high moisture absorption and the low-temperature impact strength of PA [3,4]. Poly(ester amide)s are very promising materials combining the degradation ability of polyesters and the higher thermal and mechanical properties of PA [5,6]

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