Polybutyrolactam (PBY) fiber: a promising biobased and biodegradable fiber fabricated by dry-jet-wet spinning

Abstract

A promising bio-based and biodegradable polybutyrolactam (PBY) fiber with health care function was prepared for the first time by dry-jet-wet spinning. As-prepared PBY fibers possesses the degree of crystallization upto 45.61%, appreciable thermal stability, excellent strength upto 2.1 cN•dtex−1, as well as good resistance to alkalis based on the results of X-ray diffraction, thermal and physical properties. The bio-degradability of PBY fibers were evaluated by the degraded behavior in soil, UV aging irradiation and seawater, showing commendable bio-degradation within 100 days. The analysis of the degradation based on TGA demonstrates that the removal of oligomers preferentially occurs, and then PBY macromolecules are broken. More interestingly, pharmaceutical γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) is released during the degradation process, and it is beneficial to health care. As a biomass-derived and bio-degradable fiber, the sustainable PBY fiber exhibits an impressively competitive tensile strength among the existing degradable man-made fibers, showing great potential in bio-based fiber materials and health care textiles.