Tailoring the Nucleation and Crystallization Rate of Polyhydroxybutyrate by Copolymerization.

ABSTRACT: In the polyester family, the biopolymer with the greatest industrial potential could be poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) (PHB), which can be produced nowadays biologically or chemically. The scarce commercial use of PHB derives from its poor mechanical properties, which can be improved by incorporating a flexible aliphatic polyester with good mechanical performance, such as poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL), while retaining its biodegradability. This work studies the structural, thermal, and morphological properties of block and random copolymers of PHB and PCL. The presence of a comonomer influences the thermal parameters following nonisothermal crystallization and the kinetics of isothermal crystallization. Specifically, the copolymers exhibit lower melting and crystallization temperatures and present l

SUBMITTER: Caputo MR 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10646943 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature