Polybutylene terephthalate (PBT) is a thermoplastic polymer that, owing to its valuable physicochemical properties, is widely used in the motor industry, in electronics, and in electrical engineering (refs. 1 and 2). However, in a number of cases, because of the relatively low thermal stability of PBT, the combination of physicochemical properties built into its structure is partially lost during processing from the melt (ref. 3). In view of this, investigations were carried out to improve the resistance of PBT to heat and oxygen and to lengthen its service life.
This paper presents a modification of biodegradable polymers with highly-disperse metals, for example Fe/FeO or Fe2O3 (Z), with nano-sized particles. During the course of the work, biodegradable polyethylene composites with the composition PE-276 + Z + starch (Z = 0.1% by wt, starch from 2.5 to 10% by wt) were produced. Studies were made of the rheological and deformation/strength characteristics of the composites produced. A regular relationship was identified between the rate and extent of biodegradation and the percentage starch content in the composites.
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