Biodegradable polyesters-based polymer blends

In this chapter, solid-state structure and properties relative to the morphologies of several chemically and bacterially synthesized biodegradable polymeric materials are described based mainly on the results obtained for bacterially synthesized polyesters by high resolution solid-state NMR spectroscopy. This chapter briefly discusses polymer blends, which also includes polysaccharides and proteins, since more details are given in other chapters of this book. Several books on biodegradable polymers have been published [1,2], and many review articles on structure and properties of bacterially synthesized polyesters have also been published elsewhere [7-10, 19-22]. 

M. Deng, et al.. In situ porous structures a unique polymer erosion mechanism in biodegradable dipeptide-based polyphosphazene and polyester blends producing matrices for regenerative engineering, Adv. Funct. Mater. 20 (17) (2010) 2794-2806. 

Multilayer co-extrusion is another technique used in the preparation of starch/ synthetic sheets or films [164, 263-266], in which TPS is laminated with appropriate biodegradable polymers to improve the mechanical, water-resistance and gas-barrier properties of final products. These products have shown potential for applications such as food packaging and disposable product manufacture. Three-layer co-extrusion is most often practiced, in which a co-extrusion line consists of two single-screw extruders (one for the inner starch layer and the other for the outer polymer layers) a feedblock a coat-hanger-type sheet die and a three-roll calendering system [164]. Biodegradable polyesters such as PCL [164, 264], PLA [164, 263], and polyesteramide, PBSA and poly(hydroxybutyrate-co-valerate) [164] are often used for the outer layers. These new blends and composites are extending the utilization of starch-based materials into new value-added products. 

Chin Han Chan, PhD, is an associate professor at the Faculty of Applied Sciences, Universiti Teknologi MARA [MARA University of Technology) in Selangor, Malaysia. She has received many research grants, has published many articles in professional journals, has published chapters in books, and has presented at many professional conferences. Her field of interest includes epoxidized natural rubber-based nanostructured blends, thermoplastic elastomer, biodegradable polyester/polyether blends, and solid polymer electrolytes. 

She has pnbhshed more than 45 papers in intematiorral and national refereed journals, more than 60 publications in conference proceedings, and more than 20 invited lectures for international conferences. She has been one of the editors of Malaysian Journal of Chemistry, Berita IKM- Chemistry in Malaysia, and books pnbhshed by Royal Society of Chemistry entitled Natural Rubber Materials, Volume 1 Blends and IPNs and Volume 2 Composites and Nanocomposites. She peer-reviews a few international journals on polymer science. Her research interest is devoted to modified natural rabber-based thermoplastic elastomers, biodegradable polyester/polyether blends, and solid polymer electrolytes... 

Xie F, Yu L, Liu H, Dean K (2006) Effect of compatibilizer distribution on thermal and rheological properties of gelatinized starch/biodegradable polyesters blends. Int Polym Proc 21 379-385 Xie F, Halley PJ, Averous L (2011a) Bio-nanocomposites based on starch. In Mittal V (ed) Nanocomposites with biodegradable polymers synthesis, properties and future perspectives. Oxford University Press, Oxford, pp 234-260... 

In this section, the structure, preparation, miscibility and properties of different polymer blends based on biodegradable polyesters are reviewed. Polylactide-based blends are first revisited and discussed, and the miscibility behaviors of other commercially available biopolymers of great interest such as poly(E-caprolactone) (PCL), poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) (PHB), poly(p-dioxanone) (PPDO) and polyglyco-lide (PGA) are briefly reviewed. Finally, Appendix 2.A provides a brief outline of the investigations used to develop the miscibility study presented here. In this recap, it is possible to find the chemical structures of the polymers and their solubility parameters, and also some brief comments summarizing the research studies. 

Revision of Polymer Blends Based on Biodegradable Polyesters 133... 

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