Succinate Adipate Research Articles

Phase behavior and water vapor transport in BIONOLLE/polymethylmethacrylate blends

The miscibility of blends prepared from amorphous polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) and a semi-crystalline biodegradable polybutylene succinate–adipate polyester (BIONOLLE 3000) has been studied. Using methods such as microscopic observation, lowering of T m and T g and crystallization kinetics, these polymers have been shown to present a very low mutual solubility in the whole composition range. The permeability to water vapor results are interpreted using the classical series and parallel models for immiscible blends considering that only the amorphous part of the blend is responsible for the water vapor transport. These results are then compared with those obtained for the polyethylene oxide/polymethylmethacrylate blends and discussed in terms of the change of crystallinity of the semi-crystalline component of the blend.

Processing, performance and biodegradability of a thermoplastic aliphatic polyester/starch system

Composites of a biodegradable thermoplastic aliphatic polyester, polybutylene succinate adipate (PBSA), with granular corn starch were investigated for processability, mechanical and thermal properties, and biodegradability. The PBSA/starch films were prepared with starch contents of 5%–30% by weight and processed by blown film extrusion. Increasing the starch content led to an increase in modulus and decreases in tensile strength, elongation to break and toughness. The rate of biodegradation in soil, as measured by respirometry, increased significantly as the starch content was increased to 20% and then plateaued. Scanning electron microscopy revealed that the starch granules were embedded in the continuous-phase PBSA and that starch promotes the biodegradation of PBSA. Gel permeation chromatography indicated a molecular weight decrease for the PBSA after soil exposure and confirmed that biodegradation was enhanced by the presence of starch. The results demonstrated that the biodegradable PBSA/starch system has mechanical properties useful for blown film applications.

Processability and properties of aliphatic polyesters, ‘BIONOLLE’, synthesized by polycondensation reaction

Biodegradable aliphatic polyesters, trademarked ‘BIONOLLE’, such as polybutylene succinate (#1000 series), polybutylene succinate adipate copolymer (#3000 series) and polyethylene succinate (tentatively #6000 series) with high molecular weights ranging from several tens of thousands to several hundreds of thousands were invented in 1990 and produced successfully through polycondensation reaction of glycols with aliphatic dicar☐ylic acids and others. A pilot plant with a capacity of 10 tons/year was built in 1991, and a semicommercial plant with a capacity of 3000 tons/year was constructed in 1993. BIONOLLE is a white crystalline thermoplastic, has melting points ranging about 90~120 °C, glass transition temperatures ranging about −45~−10 °C and density about 1.25 g/cm 3. BIONOLLE has excellent processability, so it can be processed on conventional equipment (commonly used in processing polyolefins) at temperature of 160~200 °C into various molded products such as injected, extruded and blown ones. A new grade of BIONOLLE (coded #1900 series), which has a long chain branch (LCB), high melt tension and high recrystallization rate, has been developed, to enable stretched blown bottles and highly expanded foams to be made easily.