Preparation of Poly(butylene succinate)/poly(ϵ-caprolactone) Blends Compatibilized With Poly(butylene succinate-co-ϵ-caprolactone) Copolymer

Abstract

In this study, biodegradable aliphatic poly(butylene succinate-co-ϵ-caprolactone) P(BS-co-CL) synthesized as a compatibilizer was added into the immiscible blends of poly(butylene succinate)/poly(ϵ-caprolactone) (PBS/PCL) with the aim to enhance the compatibility between PBS and PCL, and then to improve the mechanical performance of the blends. The weight ratio of PBS/PCL blend was fixed at 80/20, and the blends were prepared by using a melt blending method. The effects of the amount of P(BS-co-CL) copolymer on the crystallization behavior, morphology, structure and mechanical properties of PBS/PCL blends were investigated using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), wide-angle X-ray diffraction (WAXD) and tensile tests. DSC experiments indicated that the compatibilizer enhanced the interaction between the two components. It is worth noting that the addition of 5 wt% of P(BS-co-CL) copolymer had an effective compatibilizing effect on morphology and mechanical properties of PBS/PCL blend, showing reduced interfacial tension between two phases and a significant enhancement in fracture strain as compared with that of the PBS/PCL blend without compatibilizer. The analysis of WAXD showed that compatibilization did not disturb the crystalline structure of the blends.