Poly(furfuryl alcohol)-Polycaprolactone Blends

Abstract

Poly(furfuryl alcohol) (PFA) is a bioresin synthesized from furfuryl alcohol (FA) that is derived from renewable saccharide-rich biomass. In this study, we compounded this bioresin with polycaprolactone (PCL) for the first time, introducing new functional polymer blends. Although PCL is biodegradable, its production relies on petroleum precursors such as cyclohexanone oils. With the method proposed herein, this dependence on petroleum-derived precursors/monomers is reduced by using PFA without significantly modifying some important properties of the PCL. Polymer blend films were produced by simple solvent casting. The blends were characterized in terms of surface topography by atomic force microscopy (AFM), chemical interactions between PCL and PFA by attenuated total reflection-Fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR), crystallinity by XRD, thermal properties by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and mechanical properties by tensile tests and biocompatibility by direct and indirect toxicity tests. PFA was found to improve the gas barrier properties of PCL without compromising its mechanical properties, and it demonstrated sustained antioxidant effect with excellent biocompatibility. Our results indicate that these new blends can be potentially used in diverse applications ranging from food packing to biomedical devices.

Furfuryl Alcohol and Lactic Acid Blends: Homo- or Co-Polymerization?

“…Interestingly, within the intermediate formulations (F/L 75/25, F/L 50/50 and F/L 25/75), the F/L 25/75 blend showed a significant difference: Its thermogram almost overlaps with the one of the F/L 50/50 strengthening the theory that the presence of a small amount of FA already modifies the thermal properties significantly. In a recent study, Nanni et al observed that in PFA and polycaprolactone blends, the TGA traces resulted more similar to the ones of caprolactone involving complete degradation of the 50% blend before 450 °C [24]. Further, the observed behavior is in line with the bending and solubility tests and confirms that when small amounts of furfuryl alcohol are added the formulation markedly increase its furanic character.…”

“…Polyfurfuryl alcohol is typically produced through a highly exothermic, acid catalyzed polymerization reaction of furfuryl alcohol which is difficult to control and produces high porous inhomogeneous random structures [20,21]. Only very recently, a three-steps method to produce this polymer in a controlled manner was developed [22] and this breakthrough finally allows to consider FA as comonomer for new bio-materials [23,24].…”

Recent Advances in Antioxidant Polymers: From Sustainable and Natural Monomers to Synthesis and Applications

“…Antioxidant polymers are a broad class of polymers, including polylactones [25], polymer nanoparticles integrated with living polymerization techniques [26], poly(b-malic acid) derivatives [27], lignin graft polymers, and polyphenols, which offer unparalleled capabilities in tumor-targeted drug delivery, food fortification [28], biodegradation of polymers, and antimicrobial treatment [29]. Emerging research evidence indicates that hydrophobic antioxidant polymers are effective corrosion inhibitors in steel structures.…”

The activation of furfuryl alcohol polymerization by oxygen and its enhanced mechanical properties

“…Previous experiments have proven, while other studies mention, that oxygen could be relevant to the curing of furan resins, 29,30 although there is no decisive experimental evidence to this effect. Correspondingly, several other studies have found that FA and its polymers have a high avidity to oxygen as they act as a trapping agent, thus being impermeable to oxygen 31–33 . This paper reports on a study of the effect of oxygen on the curing of furan resin and, furthermore, the mechanical properties of furan resin cured with various oxygen‐supplying additives.…”

“…Correspondingly, several other studies have found that FA and its polymers have a high avidity to oxygen as they act as a trapping agent, thus being impermeable to oxygen. [31][32][33] This paper reports on a study of the effect of oxygen on the curing of furan resin and, furthermore, the mechanical properties of furan resin cured with various oxygen-supplying additives.…”