scholarly journals Sustainable Plastics from Biomass: Blends of Polyesters Based on 2,5-Furandicarboxylic Acid

Polymers ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 225 ◽  
Author(s):  
Niki Poulopoulou ◽  
Dimitra Smyrnioti ◽  
George N. Nikolaidis ◽  
Ilektra Tsitsimaka ◽  
Evi Christodoulou ◽  
...  

Intending to expand the thermo-physical properties of bio-based polymers, furan-based thermoplastic polyesters were synthesized following the melt polycondensation method. The resulting polymers, namely, poly(ethylene 2,5-furandicarboxylate) (PEF), poly(propylene 2,5-furandicarboxylate) (PPF), poly(butylene 2,5-furandicarboxylate) (PBF) and poly(1,4-cyclohexanedimethylene 2,5-furandicarboxylate) (PCHDMF) are used in blends together with various polymers of industrial importance, including poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET), poly(ethylene 2,6-naphthalate) (PEN), poly(L-lactic acid) (PLA) and polycarbonate (PC). The blends are studied concerning their miscibility, crystallization and solid-state characteristics by using wide-angle X-ray diffractometry (WAXD), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and polarized light microscopy (PLM). PEF blends show in general dual glass transitions in the DSC heating traces for the melt quenched samples. Only PPF–PEF blends show a single glass transition and a single melt phase in PLM. PPF forms immiscible blends except with PEF and PBF. PBF forms miscible blends with PCHDMF and PPF, whereas all other blends show dual glass transitions in DSC and phase separation in PLM. PCHDMF–PEF and PEN–PEF blends show two glass transition temperatures, but they shift to intermediate temperature values depending on the composition, indicating some partial miscibility of the polymer pairs.

Polymers ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (6) ◽  
pp. 937 ◽  
Author(s):  
Niki Poulopoulou ◽  
George Kantoutsis ◽  
Dimitrios N. Bikiaris ◽  
Dimitris S. Achilias ◽  
Maria Kapnisti ◽  
...  

Poly(butylene 2,5-furandicarboxylate) (PBF) constitutes a new engineering polyester produced from renewable resources, as it is synthesized from 2,5-furandicarboxylic acid (2,5-FDCA) and 1,4-butanediol (1,4-BD), both formed from sugars coming from biomass. In this research, initially high-molecular-weight PBF was synthesized by applying the melt polycondensation method and using the dimethylester of FDCA as the monomer. Furthermore, five different series of PBF blends were prepared, namely poly(l-lactic acid)–poly(butylene 2,5-furandicarboxylate) (PLA–PBF), poly(ethylene terephthalate)–poly(butylene 2,5-furandicarboxylate) (PET–PBF), poly(propylene terephthalate)–poly(butylene 2,5-furandicarboxylate) (PPT–PBF), poly(butylene 2,6-naphthalenedicarboxylate)-poly(butylene 2,5-furandicarboxylate) (PBN–PBF), and polycarbonate–poly(butylene 2,5-furandicarboxylate) (PC–PBF), by dissolving the polyesters in a trifluoroacetic acid/chloroform mixture (1/4 v/v) followed by coprecipitation as a result of adding the solutions into excess of cold methanol. The wide-angle X-ray diffraction (WAXD) patterns of the as-prepared blends showed that mixtures of crystals of the blend components were formed, except for PC which did not crystallize. In general, a lower degree of crystallinity was observed at intermediate compositions. The differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) heating scans for the melt-quenched samples proved homogeneity in the case of PET–PBF blends. In the remaining cases, the blend components showed distinct Tgs. In PPT–PBF blends, there was a shift of the Tgs to intermediate values, showing some partial miscibility. Reactive blending proved to improve compatibility of the PBN–PBF blends.


e-Polymers ◽  
2007 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Rafael Silva ◽  
Gizilene M. Carvalho ◽  
Edvani C. Muniz ◽  
Gentil J. Vidotti ◽  
Adley F. Rubira

AbstractPETs/PHB blends with different compositions were produced by “casting” method. The blends were investigated by TGA, DSC, 1H and 13C NMR and FTIR. Phase separation occurred during blend preparation. PETs and PHB were present in both formed phases. The phases presented different thermal stabilities unrelated to phase component concentration changes. The miscibility study by DSC showed that PHB-phase rich blends are immiscible, whereas the PETs-rich phase blends are miscible. The 1H NMR spectra of the miscible blends exhibited a peak close to the PHB methylene signal, which is in accordance with the interaction between the PETs SO3 - groups and the PHB carbonyl groups. This interaction result in a shift of the PHB carbonyl group absorption band in the FTIR spectra and a variation in the chemical shift of the PHB carbonyl group resonance peak in solid state 13C NMR. No specific interaction was observed for the immiscible blends.


Polymers ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 556 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nikki Poulopoulou ◽  
Nejib Kasmi ◽  
Maria Siampani ◽  
Zoi Terzopoulou ◽  
Dimitrios Bikiaris ◽  
...  

Polymers from renewable resources and especially strong engineering partially aromatic biobased polyesters are of special importance for the evolution of bioeconomy. The fabrication of polymer blends is a creative method for the production of tailor-made materials for advanced applications that are able to combine functionalities from both components. In this study, poly(alkylene furanoate)/poly(alkylene terephthalate) blends with different compositions were prepared by solution blending in a mixture of trifluoroacetic acid and chloroform. Three different types of blends were initially prepared, namely, poly(ethylene furanoate)/poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PEF/PET), poly(propylene furanoate)/poly(propylene terephthalate) (PPF/PPT), and poly(1,4-cyclohenedimethylene furanoate)/poly(1,4-cycloxehane terephthalate) (PCHDMF/PCHDMT). These blends’ miscibility characteristics were evaluated by examining the glass transition temperature of each blend. Moreover, reactive blending was utilized for the enhancement of miscibility and dynamic homogeneity and the formation of copolymers through transesterification reactions at high temperatures. PEF–PET and PPF–PPT blends formed a copolymer at relatively low reactive blending times. Finally, poly(ethylene terephthalate-co-ethylene furanoate) (PETF) random copolymers were successfully introduced as compatibilizers for the PEF/PET immiscible blends, which resulted in enhanced miscibility.


Polymers ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 219
Author(s):  
Zhongguo Zhao ◽  
Xin Zhang ◽  
Qi Yang ◽  
Taotao Ai ◽  
Shikui Jia ◽  
...  

In this work, a series of isotactic polypropylene/poly(ethylene terephthalate) (iPP/PET) samples were prepared by microinjection molding (μIM) and mini-injection molding (IM). The properties of the samples were investigated in detail by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), Wide-Angle X-ray Diffraction (WAXD), Polarized light microscope (PLM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Results showed that the difference in thermomechanical history between both processing methods leads to the formation of different microstructures in corresponding iPP/PET moldings. For example, the dispersed spherical PET phase deforms and emerges into continuous in-situ microfibrils due to the intensive shearing flow field and temperature field in μIM. Additionally, the incorporation of PET facilitates both the laminar branching and the reservation of oriented molecular chains, thereby leading to forming a typical hybrid structure (i.e., fan-shaped β-crystals and transcrystalline). Furthermore, more compact and higher degrees of oriented structure can be obtained via increasing the content of PET. Such hybrid structure leads to a remarkable enhancement of mechanical property in terms of μIM samples.


2008 ◽  
Vol 587-588 ◽  
pp. 529-533
Author(s):  
Lyudmil V. Todorov ◽  
Olga M. Freire ◽  
Júlio C. Viana

This work deals with an experimental investigation of the strain-induced crystalline microstructure that develops under uniaxial elongation of amorphous poly(ethylene terephthalate), PET, above its glass transition temperature, as an approach for industrial stretch-blow moulding processes. The present study aims at: a) defining the most relevant processing parameters which govern and are of significance for the induced morphology, and b) establishing of relationships between processing and morphology. Compression moulded amorphous PET was uniaxial stretched with variations of following stretching parameters: stretching temperature, Tst, stretching velocity, Vst, and stretching ratio, λst, that were varied in two levels according to a L8 Taguchi orthogonal array. The developed morphologies were characterized by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and birefringence measurements. Obtained results were analyzed by ANOVA statistical tool. The glass transition temperature, Tg, is influenced mainly by the stretching ratio. The cold crystallization temperature, Tcc, is determined by complex influence of all stretching variables and the interaction Tstxλst. The degree of crystallinity, χc, mainly depends upon Vst and Tstxλst interaction. The birefringence, n, is essentially determined by λst and the interaction Vstxλst. The distinct morphological parameters are then related with the purpose of understand the structure development upon polymer stretching.


2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (7) ◽  
pp. 3491
Author(s):  
Grażyna B. Dąbrowska ◽  
Zuzanna Garstecka ◽  
Ewa Olewnik-Kruszkowska ◽  
Grażyna Szczepańska ◽  
Maciej Ostrowski ◽  
...  

Plastic pollution is one of the crucial global challenges nowadays, and biodegradation is a promising approach to manage plastic waste in an environment-friendly and cost-effective way. In this study we identified the strain of fungus Trichoderma viride GZ1, which was characterized by particularly high pectinolytic activity. Using differential scanning calorimetry, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy techniques, and viscosity measurements we showed that three-month incubation of polylactide and polyethylene terephthalate in the presence of the fungus lead to significant changes of the surface of polylactide. Further, to gain insight into molecular mechanisms underneath the biodegradation process, western blot hybridization was used to show that in the presence of poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) in laboratory conditions the fungus produced hydrophobin proteins. The mycelium adhered to the plastic surface, which was confirmed by scanning electron microscopy, possibly due to the presence of hydrophobins. Further, using atomic force microscopy we demonstrated for the first time the formation of hydrophobin film on the surface of aliphatic polylactide (PLA) and PET by T. viride GZ1. This is the first stage of research that will be continued under environmental conditions, potentially leading to a practical application.


Materials ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 11 (8) ◽  
pp. 1397 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elaine dos Santos ◽  
Marcus Fook ◽  
Oscar Malta ◽  
Suédina de Lima Silva ◽  
Itamara Leite

Purified clay was modified with different amounts of alkyl ammonium and phosphonium salts and used as filler in the preparation of PET nanocomposites via melt intercalation. The effect of this type of filler on morphology and thermal and mechanical properties of PET nanocomposites was investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), thermogravimetric analyses (TG), tensile properties, and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The results showed that the mixture of alkyl ammonium and phosphonium salts favored the production of PET nanocomposites with intercalated and partially exfoliated morphologies with slight improvement in thermal stability. In addition, the incorporation of these organoclays tended to inhibit PET crystallization behavior, which is profitable in the production of transparent bottles.


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