Synthesis of Biodegradable Polyester–Polyether with Enhanced Hydrophilicity, Thermal Stability, Toughness, and Degradation Rate

Abstract

Novel poly(butylene succinate-butylene furandicarboxylate/polyethylene glycol succinate) (PBSF-PEG) was synthesized using two-step transesterification and polycondensation in the melt. There are characterized by intrinsic viscosity, GPC, 1H NMR, DSC, TGA, tensile, water absorption tests, and water degradation at different pH. GPC analysis showed that PBSF-PEG had high molecular weight with average molecular weight (Mw) up to 13.68 × 104 g/mol. Tensile tests showed that these polymers possessed good mechanical properties with a tensile strength as high as 30 MPa and elongation at break reaching 1500%. It should be noted that the increase of PEG units improved the toughness of the polyester material. In addition, the introduction of PEG promoted the water degradation properties of PBSF, and the copolymer showed a significantly faster water degradation rate when the PEG unit content was 20%. This suggests that the amount of PEG introduced could be applied to regulate the water degradation rate of the copolymers. Hence, these new polymers have great potential for application as environmentally friendly and sustainable plastic packaging materials.

Thermal Degradation Mechanism and Decomposition Kinetic Studies of Poly(Ethylene Succinate)/Hemp Fiber Composites

“…Poly(n-alkylene succinate)s, or PnASs, are a class of aliphatic, biodegradable polyesters that have gained significant interest due to their environmentally friendly characteristics, including their biodegradability [9]. The most commonly studied PnASs are poly(ethylene succinate) (PESu), poly(propylene succinate) (PPSu), and poly(butylene succinate) (PBSu), with PESu being one of the most important members due to its satisfactory mechanical properties and good thermal stability [10][11][12]. PESu can be synthesized by either ringopening polymerization of succinic anhydride or by polycondensation of succinic acid and ethylene glycol, both of which can be derived from natural resources [2,13].…”