Improving the barrier character of polylactide/phenoxy immiscible blend using poly(lactide‐co‐ɛ‐caprolactone) block copolymer as a compatibilizer

Abstract

The improvement of the barrier character of polylactide by the addition of poly(hydroxy ether) of bisphenol A (Phenoxy) and poly(lactide-co-E-caprolactone) copolymer that acts as a compatibilizer is studied. First, differential scanning calorimetry, Fourier transformed infrared spectroscopy, and scanning electron microscopy show that the addition of the copolymer allows to obtain a miscible ternary system. The permeability of polylactide to water vapor, oxygen, and carbon dioxide is enhanced with the addition of phenoxy but better improvement in its barrier character is obtained with the addition of the compatibilizer. The effects of different factors such as miscibility, glass transition temperature, and crystallinity on the transport properties are analyzed. Several permeability prediction models for heterogeneous systems have been applied obtaining quite good results for water vapor and oxygen permeability.

Polyethylene terephthalate/low density polyethylene/titanium dioxide blend nanocomposites: Morphology, crystallinity, rheology, and transport properties

“…And the blend show a permeability that is near the additivity of both components. Therefore, this reduction could come from two facts: a) Water molecule diffusion through LDPE droplets becomes slower than in PET matrix and b) The interactions between penetrant and polymer also lead to the reduction of the permeability …”

“…Further details about the experimental measurements and data treatment can be found elsewhere. 31 Water vapor transmission rate was measured using a permeation cell at 25 C according to standard ASTM E96-95. The permeation cell is made of polytetrafluoroethylene.…”

Tributyl citrate as an effective plasticizer for biodegradable polymers: effect of plasticizer on free volume and transport and mechanical properties

“…The cell was a small container that was partially filled with water and sealed by a polymeric membrane. The cell was placed on a Sartorius balance with 10 −5 g readability and the weight loss was recorded on a computer . Sorption experiments were performed with an IGA‐2 Hiden electromagnetic balance at 25.5 °C and 0.24–0.92 water vapour activity.…”

“…The cell was placed on a Sartorius balance with 10 −5 g readability and the weight loss was recorded on a computer. 5,20,21 Sorption experiments were performed with an IGA-2 Hiden electromagnetic balance at 25.5 ∘ C and 0.24-0.92 water vapour activity. More details about the equipment and method have been described elsewhere.…”

Improving the barrier character of poly(caprolactone): Transport properties and free volume of immiscible blends

“…As the free volume increases, the permeability rises, since the diffusion and solubility of the penetrant is facilitated. 18 In order to assess the effect of different parameters [19][20][21][22] on the transport properties, the free volume has been measured to analyze its correlation with the permeability. Furthermore, the study of the solubility and diffusion coefficient would allow a better understanding of the mechanisms affecting the improvement of the barrier character.…”