Abstract
The aim of this paper is to extend knowledge on biobased poly(butylene furanoate)–block–poly (ethylene oxide) (PBF-b-PEO) copolymers’ performance by studying the effect of the PEO segment’s molecular weight on the microstructure and materials behavior. As crystallization ability of PEO depends on its molecular weight, the idea was to use two PEO segment lengths, expecting that the longer one would be able to crystallize affecting the phase separation in copolymers, thus affecting their mechanical performance, including elasticity. Two series of PBF-block-PEOs with the PEO segments of 1000 and 2000 g/mol and different PBF/PEO segment ratios were synthesized by polycondensation in melt, injection molded to confirm their processability, and subjected to characterization by NMR, FTIR, DSC, DMTA, WAXS, TGA, and mechanical parameters. Indeed, the PEO2000 segment not only supported the crystallization of the PBF segments in copolymers, but at contents at least 50 wt % is getting crystallizable in the low temperature range, which results in the microstructure development and affects the mechanical properties. While the improvement in the phase separation slightly reduces the copolymers’ ability to deformation, it is beneficial for the elastic recovery of the materials. The investigations were performed on the injection molded samples reflecting the macroscopic properties of the bulk materials.
Highlights
Research on the synthesis and characterization of polymer materials based on biomass-derived monomers, possibly biodegradable and not harmful for the environment, is currently one of the most important trends in the materials science development
The materials were characterized by the following molecular weights (Mn ), i.e., 34,100 for PBF homopolymer (Ð = 1.8) as well as 56,400 (Ð = 1.9) and 69,000 (Ð = 2.0) for PBF-PEO1000 50 and PBF-PEO2000 50 samples, respectively
Copolymers with the PEO segments of 1000 g/mol have been already characterized by other authors, but their results are incoherent, and the materials were prepared in a glass reactor on a small scale with a very small material output
Summary
Research on the synthesis and characterization of polymer materials based on biomass-derived monomers, possibly biodegradable and not harmful for the environment, is currently one of the most important trends in the materials science development. It is mainly focused on looking for green alternatives for the most commercially relevant and consumable polymers like polyolefins, polyamides, polyurethanes, or polyesters, among others [1,2,3,4,5]. 2,5-furandicarboxylic acid (FDCA), has been known since the 1940s, when first patents for its application were claimed [7], it has gained an importance recently for the synthesis of the green counterparts of the petroleum-based aromatic polyesters.
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