PLA-PBS Copolymer as a Compatibilizer of PLA-PBS Blends
International Conference for Young Scientists on Biorefinery Technologies and Products: Book of Abstracts 2024
Ralfs Gabrāns, Sergejs Gaidukovs

The PLA-PBS (polylactic acid – polybutylene succinate) copolymer has been suggested as a versatile solution, serving as a compatibilizer, plasticizer, and nucleating agent for blending immiscible PLA-PBS polymer combinations. This approach aims to harness the strength of PLA and the flexibility of PBS, thereby reducing the brittleness of PLA and enhancing the toughness of PBS, creating a synergistic combination of two biobased materials [1,2]. Our current research focuses on various synthesis methods and routes for PLA-PBS copolymers. In this study, we present the synthesis of PLA/PBS using tin ethylhexanoate, titanium butoxide, and a combination of both. The one-pot synthesis involved polymerizing PLA, then introducing PBS, and vice versa. Structural analysis, confirmed through NMR (nuclear magnetic resonance), FTIR (fourier transform infrared spectroscopy), revealed the production of low molecular mass polymers. As well as thermal analysis such as TGA (thermogravimetric analysis) and DSC (differential scanning calorimetry) to determine the crystallization and glassing temperatures. [3] The synthesized copolymer was employed as a compatibilizer in neat PLA-PBS polymer blends to stabilize the immiscible components. Mechanical property measurements demonstrated an enhanced compatibility between PLA-PBS mixtures, with the copolymer content of 2.5% in varying ratios of 25:75; 50:50; 75:25 between PLA and PBS, displacing PLA in the blend.


Keywords
PLA, PBS, copolymer

Gabrāns, R., Gaidukovs, S. PLA-PBS Copolymer as a Compatibilizer of PLA-PBS Blends. In: International Conference for Young Scientists on Biorefinery Technologies and Products: Book of Abstracts, Latvia, Riga, 24-26 April, 2024. Riga: 2024, pp.1-73.

Publication language
English (en)
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