High Content of Thermoplastic Starch, Poly(butylenes adipate-co-terephthalate) and Poly(butylene succinate) Ternary Blends with a Good Balance in Strength and Toughness

Abstract

The ternary blends of a high content of thermoplastic starch (TPS), poly(butylenes adipate-co-terephthalate) (PBAT), and poly(butylene succinate) (PBS) were first melt-compounded in a twin screw extruder. The TPS contents in ternary blends were fixed at 60 wt%. The miscibility, morphology, thermal behavior, mechanical properties, and thermal resistance of the blends were investigated. The results showed that dispersions of PBS and PBAT minor phases improved the tensile strength and elongation at break. TPS/PBS/PBAT60/10/30 formed a good balance in strength and toughness. Dynamic mechanical analysis of the blends exhibits an intermediate and peak suggesting the ternary blend is compatible. Minor phase-separated structure SEM results showed that TPS/PBS/PBAT60/10/30 blend formed a typical mixture with core−shell morphology. As the PBAT composition was increased, phase morphology changes occurred in the blends, leading to decreased values of complex viscosity, storage modulus, and loss modulus. Moreover, the thermal resistances and melt flow properties of the materials were also studied by analysis of the heat deflection temperature (HDT) and melt flow index (MFI) value in the work.

Effect of Starch Plasticization on Morphological, Mechanical, Crystalline, Thermal, and Optical Behavior of Poly(butylene adipate-co-terephthalate)/Thermoplastic Starch Composite Films

“…The corn starch has A-type crystallinity and diffraction peaks in 2θ = 15° [23]. With the addition of glycerol-plasticized TPS, new characteristic peaks appeared at 2θ angles of 13.1° and 16.1° and were characteristic peaks of TPS, which correspond to the VH-type amylose crystal [24,25]. The diffraction peaks at 13.38°, 16.24°, 17.54°, 20.64°, 23.14°, and 24.72° were seen in all PBAT/TPS composites, indicating that all composites had a similar crystalline structure.…”

Effect of Starch and Paperboard Reinforcing Structures on Insulative Fiber Foam Composites

“…However, by themselves, these fiber foams do not have the compressive strength or toughness that may be needed for many internal packaging applications [33,34]. Starch has been used to make biopolymer blends with excellent strength and toughness [35]. To our knowledge, there have been no studies reporting the properties of composites made from cellulose fiber foam and paperboard grids or other reinforcing structures that could provide the mechanical strength, toughness, and insulative properties EPS foam packaging provides.…”