Document Type
Article
Publication Date
4-17-2024
Abstract
The widespread utilization of petroleum-based plastics causes environmental issues, prompting the production of biobased high-performance polymers for a sustainable future. With the application of multiple biobased monomers with comparable chemical structures in recent years, efforts are to made to explore or synthesize alternative polymers that has the advantages of plastic. In this study, we have synthesized poly (alkylene furanoate-co-sebacate) by two-stage melt polycondensation, utilizing biomass-derived substituent dimethyl furan 2,5-carboxylate and dimethyl sebacate, and different diols such as butane diol and pentane diol. The synthesized high-molecular weight aliphatic-aromatic polyesters, poly (butylene furanoate-co-sebacate) (PBFS) and poly (pentylene furanoate-co-sebacate) (PPeFS), were characterized by gel-permeation chromatography, FT-IR and NMR spectroscopies. The glycol chain length played a key role in determining the molecular weight, and physical properties of the polymer. The biobased polyester was successfully processed to thin films by compression molding and characterized for thermal, mechanical and enzymatic degradation properties. From the point of mechanical performance and enzymatic degradation, PBFS and PPeFS exhibited impressive elasticity upon stretching, which can be comparable to commercial PBAT. Moreover, chain extension reaction was also performed using intermediate polyol, where 0.5% 4,4′-methylene diphenyl diisocyanate was used as a coupling agent, to fabricate polyurethane adhesives. Therefore, these aliphatic-aromatic polyesters are potentially biobased and can offer both mechanical and biodegradable alternatives to petroleum-based PBAT.
Recommended Citation
Sharma, Lav, "Biobased High-Molecular-Weight Polyester with Impressive Elasticity, Thermo-Mechanical Properties, and Enzymatic Biodegradability: Replacing Petro-based PBAT" (2024). Posters. 78.
https://digitalcommons.pittstate.edu/posters_2024/78
