Preparation of biodegradable poly(butylene succinate)/halloysite nanotube nanocomposite foams using supercritical CO2 as blowing agent

Abstract

Biodegradable poly(butylene succinate) (PBS) was melt compounded with halloysite nanotube (HNT) to prepare PBS/HNT nanocomposites, and both pure PBS and PBS/ HNT nanocomposites were foamed successfully using supercritical carbon dioxide as a physical blowing agent. The cell morphologiesshowed that the cell size decreased, and both cell density and volume expansion ratio increased with the addition of HNT. Within the HNT content used in this work (1, 3, 5, and 7 wt.%), the content of 5 wt.% was found to be the one that lead to the smallest cell size and highest cell density and volume expansion ratio. In addition to the HNT content, both saturation temperature and saturation pressure were found to significantly influence the cell morphology. Higher saturation pressure led to smaller cell size and higher volume expansion ratio. Interestingly, a close-celled to interconnect open-celled morphology transition occurred for PBS/HNT nanocomposites at a saturation temperature of 120°C. The formation of interconnect open-celled morphology was mainly attributed to the stress induced by the HNT in the cell solidification process. With the increase of HNT content, saturation temperature and saturation pressure, the enthalpy of fusion of the foamed samples increased.

Fabrication of Poly(butylene succinate)/Carbon Black Nanocomposite Foams with Good Electrical Conductivity and High Strength by a Supercritical CO2 Foaming Process

“…It is well known that the melt strength of materials is associated with melt viscosity. Therefore, many attempts have been made to improve the melt strength of PBS materials, such as applying chemical reagents or incorporating nanoparticles [15,17,18,19,20]. Using crosslinking or a branching agent to modify the chemical structure of PBS materials was regarded as an efficient route to increase the PBS’s viscosity in many previous studies.…”

“…cannot be ignored. The use of nanofillers, such as multi-walled carbon nanotube (MWCNTs) [21], halloysite nanotubes (HNTs) [19], and carbon nanofibers (CNFs) [22] has been reported to be a successful way to improve the melt viscosity, crystallization behavior, and foamability of PBS materials. However, the cost of the above-mentioned nanofillers is relatively high.…”

Polyurethane-Based Nanocomposites for Regenerative Therapies of Cancer Skin Surgery with Low Inflammatory Potential to Healthy Fibroblasts and Keratinocytes In Vitro

“…20−26 HNTs are already in use as a drug delivery vector for a variety of pharmaceutical products, including anticancer drugs (e.g., camptothecin, 27 paclitaxel, 28 doxorubicin, 29,30 curcumin, 31 quercetin, 32 and 5-fluorouracil 33 ), antibiotics (i.e., tetracycline 34 and ciprofloxacin 35 ), analgesics (i.e., diclofenac sodium 36 ), antihypertension (i.e., polydopamine 37 ), anti-inflammatory drugs (i.e., ibuprofen 38,39 and aspirin 40 ), and therapeutic nucleic acids. 41 HNTs have recently gained considerable attention as a new type of nanoadditive for enhancing the mechanical, thermal, crystallization, and fire performance of thermoplastic polymers, such as polycatides, 42 poly(butylene succinate), 43 polypropylene, 44,45 polyamide-6, 46 and thermosets, such as epoxy. 47 HNTs have allowed TPUs to gain new desirable properties among the various types of fillers available.…”

“…HNTs have recently gained considerable attention as a new type of nanoadditive for enhancing the mechanical, thermal, crystallization, and fire performance of thermoplastic polymers, such as polycatides, poly­(butylene succinate), polypropylene, , polyamide-6, and thermosets, such as epoxy …”

Simple and feasible strategy to fabricate microcellular poly(butylene succinate) foams by chain extension and isothermal crystallization induction

“…Consequently, they have many virtues such as low price, lightweight, heat insulation, and high impact resistance . These superior properties made them appropriate for a versatile of applications, including acoustic absorption, thermal insulation, impact resistance, and scaffolds for tissue engineering …”