Low Density Polyethylene (LDPE) blends based on Poly(3-Hydroxi-Butyrate) (PHB) and Guar Gum (GG) biodegradable polymers

Abstract

SbstractLDPE blends based on PHB and GG biodegradable polymers were prepared by melt mixing in a twin screw extruder. The mechanical properties of the materials were evaluated. Preliminary information about the biodegradation behavior of the specimens was obtained by visual observation of samples removed from the simulated soil in 90 days. The results indicated that LDPE/PHB blends may be used for designing LDPE based materials with increased susceptibility to degradation, if elongation at break and impact properties are not determinant factors of their performance. LDPE based materials on GG present values of flexural and mechanical strength lower than those of LDPE/PHB blends. LDPE/PHB/GG blends exhibit unsatisfactory properties. Apparently, the effect of addition of GG to LDPE on the biodegradation behavior of LDPE/GG blends was less intense than the effect caused by addition of PHB to the blends. Similar observation has occurred with the partial replacement of GG by PHB in the ternary blends.

Thermo-Mechanical Behavior and Hydrolytic Degradation of Linear Low Density Polyethylene/Poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) Blends

“…With packaging application in mind, this immiscibility was exploited to regulate the resistance to hydrolysis and biodegradation through the control of water permeability studying the interaction between the two polymer phases against water according to Flory-Huggins theory (Pankova et al, 2010). Biodegradability of LDPE/PHB blends was extensively studied and also improved when natural additives such as castor oil or guar gum were inserted (Burlein and Rocha, 2014;Rocha and Moraes, 2015). Pro-oxidant additives, such as oxidized polyethylene wax, represent a promising solution to the problem of the environment contamination and could reduce the phase separation of LDPE with PHB and increased the biodegradation during aging in soil (Rosa et al, 2007).…”

Evaluation of the mechanical and thermal properties of PHB/canola oil films

“…Among the options of biodegradable polymers available for packaging [8] , there is the poly(3-hydroxybutyrate)-PHB, which is a potential thermoplastic used to replace polymers obtained from petrochemical industry [9] . PHB is an aliphatic polyester that is biodegradable in water and carbon dioxide under environmental conditions, sustainable, durable, produced from several microorganisms, and with some characteristics similar to polypropylene, a synthetic polymer [10][11][12][13] .…”

Nanocomposite and biodegradable polymers applied to technical textiles

“…These materials result in susceptibility to biodegradation, in addition to the fact that they are usually less expensive compared to pure biodegradable natural polymers. Some examples are those obtained by mixing low density polyethylene with starch or with poly (3-hydroxybutyrate) [32], where the presence of the biodegradable polymer makes the mixture suitable for partial biodegradation, making it an alternative to the use of fully biodegradable polymers, however, more expensive. These polymeric mixtures have been used as a matrix to form nanocomposites, such is the case of the mixture formed by PA-6 and PCL, to which silica nanoparticles were incorporated.…”