Abstract
In the successful transition towards a circular materials economy, the implementation of biobased and biodegradable plastics is a major prerequisite. To prevent the accumulation of plastic material in the open environment, plastic products should be both recyclable and biodegradable. Research and development actions in the past few decades have led to the commercial availability of a number of polymers that fulfil both end-of-life routes. However, these biobased and biodegradable polymers typically have mechanical properties that are not on par with the non-biodegradable plastic products they intend to replace. This can be improved using particulate mineral fillers such as talc, calcium carbonate, kaolin, and mica. This study shows that composites thereof with polybutylene succinate (PBS), polyhydroxybutyrate-hexanoate (PHBH), polybutylene succinate adipate (PBSA), and polybutylene adipate terephthalate (PBAT) as matrix polymers result in plastic materials with mechanical properties ranging from tough elastic towards strong and rigid. It is demonstrated that the balance between the Young’s modulus and the impact resistance for this set of polymer composites is subtle, but a select number of investigated compositions yield a combination of industrially relevant mechanical characteristics. Finally, it is shown that the inclusion of mineral fillers into biodegradable polymers does not negate the microbial disintegration of these polymers, although the nature of the filler does affect the biodegradation rate of the matrix polymer.
Highlights
The development of plastic materials in the 20th century has led to a multitude of plastic products that combine lightweight, high performing mechanical properties and outstanding barrier properties with the ability to be molded in virtually any shape imaginable
In order to fulfil this demand, many academic initiatives on the development of biodegradable polymers have taken place in the past few decades. As some of these initiatives have proven to be very fruitful, there are a number of biodegradable polymers, such as poly (PLA), polybutylene succinate (PBS), polybutylene succinate adipate (PBSA), polyhydroxy alkanoates (PHAs), and polybutylene adipate terephthalate (PBAT), that are currently being produced at aindustrial scale [2,3]
We show that addition of any concentration of fillers is directly detrimental for the elasticity of these polymers as they act as stress concentration points, which is in correspondence with the effect generally observed in particulate-reinforced plastics
Summary
The development of plastic materials in the 20th century has led to a multitude of plastic products that combine lightweight, high performing mechanical properties and outstanding barrier properties with the ability to be molded in virtually any shape imaginable. As a result of their chemical composition, the majority of plastic waste originating from day-to-day products (mainly polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), and polyethylene terephthalate (PET)) are not broken down by the microbes present in the respective environments It would be highly advantageous if plastic products that have a high risk of ending up in nature will be, aside from being recyclable, biodegradable in both soil and marine environments. Many investigations were performed on PBS/PLA blended materials with the aim of obtaining plastic formulations with mechanical properties in the range of polypropylene (PP) [10,11,12] This strategy allows for the optimization of mechanical properties, the biodegradable character of these immiscible blends will still be governed by the polymer with the lowest intrinsic biodegradation rate [13]. The resulting overview gives a clear overview of the possibilities to tailor the mechanical properties of biodegradable polymers towards specific plastic applications using particulate fillers
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
