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Preparation of poly(β‐hydroxybutyrate)/poly(methyl methacrylate) blends by reactive blending and their characterisation
Author(s) -
Avella Maurizio,
Errico Maria Emanuela,
Immirzi Barbara,
Malinconico Mario,
Falcigno Lucia,
Paolillo Livio
Publication year - 1998
Publication title -
macromolecular chemistry and physics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.57
H-Index - 112
eISSN - 1521-3935
pISSN - 1022-1352
DOI - 10.1002/(sici)1521-3935(19980901)199:9<1901::aid-macp1901>3.0.co;2-w
Subject(s) - differential scanning calorimetry , materials science , polymer chemistry , methyl methacrylate , polymer , monomer , polyester , poly(methyl methacrylate) , methacrylate , poly 3 hydroxybutyrate , chemical engineering , composite material , physics , engineering , thermodynamics
Poly(β‐hydroxybutyrate) (PHB) is a biotechnologically produced polyester, highly crystalline, totally biodegradable with low versatility in mechanical properties. To overcome this problem we performed a reactive blending procedure with a glassy acrylic polymer, poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA), via water suspension polymerisation of the acrylic monomer precursor onto poly(β‐hydroxybutyrate). It was possible to isolate the co‐polymeric phase formed between the two polymers and to characterize it using NMR and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) techniques. Fracture tests on the blends gave a satisfactory response: in fact the Critical Energy Release Factor (Gc) calculated by Linear Elastic Fracture Mechanism (LEFM) theory of a PHB/PMMA 70/30 wt/wt blend is less than two times larger than that of neat PHB.