Use of a chain extender as a dispersing agent of the CaCO₃ into PBAT matrix

Abstract

This paper investigates the effect of the incorporation of chain extender on the poly(butylene adipate -co-terephthalate) (PBAT) and their mixture with calcium carbonate (CaCO3) composites. Chain extender (ADR) was used to enhance the compatibility between PBAT and CaCO3, which have poor interfacial adhesion. Mechanical, thermal, and morphological properties of PBAT, PBAT/chain extender, and their composites were studied. The incorporation of the chain extender enhanced Young’s modulus and elongation at break of the neat PBAT, which is an indicator of the interaction between both materials. These results were confirmed by 1H NMR and 13C NMR (proton – hydrogen and carbon nuclear magnetic resonance, respectively). The chain extender acted by dispersing the CaCO3 particles; however, with an increase in the filler content, there is a decrease in the mechanical properties. Thermogravimetric analysis showed that chain extender has no influence on neat PBAT thermal behavior and their composites containing CaCO3. Differential scanning calorimetric analysis showed a decrease in crystallinity values of the PBAT and its composites, which is due to the physical impediment in the organization of polymer chains. Photomicrographs, obtained by scanning electron microscopy, showed that chain extender does not influence PBAT morphology. However, in the composites, chain extender enhanced the dispersion on CaCO3 particles.

Effect of carbon black and chain extender on thermal, rheological and mechanical properties of fully biodegradable poly(butylene adipate‐co‐terephthalate)/poly(3‐hydroxybutyrate‐co‐4‐hydroxybutyrate) blends

“…10 showed that the Young's modulus and yield strength of PBAT/P34HB/A‐CB composites were increased significantly with increasing CB content. de Nunes et al 43 . investigated the effect of chain extender on PBAT/calcium carbonate (CaCO 3 ) composites and found that the Young's modulus of PBAT/CaCO 3 /chain extender (79.5/20/0.5) increased by 23.5% and tensile strength decreased by 26.1% compared with neat PBAT.…”

“…10 showed that the Young's modulus and yield strength of PBAT/P34HB/A-CB composites were increased significantly with increasing CB content. de Nunes et al 43 investigated the effect of chain extender on PBAT/calcium carbonate (CaCO 3 ) composites and found that the Young's modulus of PBAT/CaCO 3 /chain extender (79.5/20/0.5) increased by 23.5% and tensile strength decreased by 26.1% compared with neat PBAT. It was reported by Pinheiro et al 44 that the elasticity modulus of PBAT/cellulose nanocrystals modified with octadecyl isocyanate (MCNC) composites increased from 55.7 MPa for neat PBAT to 79.2 MPa for the nanocomposite with 7 wt% MCNC, and tensile stress decreased from 22.0 to 12.4 MPa.…”

Application of a biodegradable poly(butylene adipate-co-terephthalate) membrane for phenol pervaporation recovery

“…24 Currently, it is mainly modified by blending with other materials to produce different kinds of films for agriculture, food, and other industries. 25–29 However, it has not been applied for the wastewater treatment. Its structure is depicted in Fig.…”

Effect of Mineral Fillers on the Mechanical Properties of Commercially Available Biodegradable Polymers

“…A final advantage of the inclusion of particulate fillers in biodegradable polymers is that in general, the overall cost price of these materials is substantially lowered compared to unfilled polymers. Although the main academic focus of biodegradable polymer reinforcement in recent years has been on the use of organic natural fillers [18][19][20], the use of inorganic mineral fillers such as talc [21,22], calcium carbonate [23,24], kaolin [25,26], and mica [27,28] and their impact on the biodegradability of these polymers [29][30][31] has been investigated as well. As the properties of particulate polymer composites can highly fluctuate strongly, due to variations in additional polymer additives, processing techniques, and the applied test methods, it is generally complex to compare individually reported results [32][33][34].…”