Polyhydroxybutyrate physical properties

Polyhydroxyalkanoates and polyhydroxybutyrate in particular may be considered as rather controversial polymers. PHB is sometimes referred to as a material that appeared too early, before its time has came. To summarize, PHAs are prepared from renewable resources and are fully biodegradable. They outperform most of the other biodegradable polymers and many synthetic plastics in properties, notably mechanical strength and modulus, resistance to water and moisture due to high hydrophobicity, high crystallinity and several other physical properties such as barrier behavior or piezoelectricity. 

Goodfellow, 2015. PHB physical properties. Available from http //www.goodfeUow.coinyE/ Polyhydroxybutyrate-Biopolymer.html (accessed 12/11/2015). 

Petersen, K., Nielsen, P.V., and Olsen, M.B., 2001, Physical and Mechanical Properties of Biobased Materials Starch, Polylactate and Polyhydroxybutyrate. Starch/Starke 53 356-361. 

Macromolecular Chemistry Physics 200, No.2, Feb.l999,p.413-21 THERMAL PROPERTIES AND CRYSTALLISATION BEHAVIOUR OF POLYHYDROXYBUTYRIC ACID IN BLENDS WITH CHITIN AND CHITOSAN Ikejima T Yagi K Inoue Y Tokyo,Institute of Technology... 

Petersen K, Nielsen P V, Olsen M B (2001), Physical and mechanical properties of biobased materials - starch, polylactate and polyhydroxybutyrate . Starch, 53, 356-361. 

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