ABSTRACT:The thermal degradation kinetics of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) (PHB) and poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) [poly(HB-HV)] under nitrogen was studied by thermogravimetry (TG). The results show that the thermal degradation temperatures (T o , T p , and T f ) increased with an increasing heating rate (B). Poly(HB-HV) was thermally more stable than PHB because its thermal degradation temperatures, T o (0), T p (0), and T f (0)-determined by extrapolation to B ϭ 0°C/min-increased by 13°C-15°C over those of PHB. The thermal degradation mechanism of PHB and poly(HB-HV) under nitrogen were investigated with TG-FTIR and Py-GC/MS. The results show that the degradation products of PHB are mainly propene, 2-butenoic acid, propenyl-2-butenoate and butyric-2-butenoate; whereas, those of poly(HB-HV) are mainly propene, 2-butenoic acid, 2-pentenoic acid, propenyl-2-butenoate, propenyl-2-pentenoate, butyric-2-butenoate, pentanoic-2-pentenoate, and CO 2 . The degradation is probably initiated from the chain scission of the ester linkage.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.