Study of structural and morphological changes during acсelerated oxidative degradation of mixtures of polyoxybutyrate with polycaprolactane

Abstract

Structural and morphological changes in the films of poly(oxybirutyrate-co-oxyvalerate) (P(OB-OV)) with poly-e-caprolactone (PCL) were studied by IR spectroscopy, DSC, and scanning electron microscopy during accelerated oxidative degradation under tests in Fenton reagent. It is shown by the DSC method that the phase separation of the P(OB-OV) and PCL components is observed in the initial mixture. The melting of various phases of P(OB-OV) is observed at temperatures of 147 °C and 157 °C, and PCL melts at a temperature of 61 °C. The degree of crystallinity of P(OB-OV) and PCL in the mixture is 67 % and 50 %, respectively. It was found that the degradation of poly(oxybirutyrate-co-oxyvalerate) prevails during incubation of composite samples in Fenton solution for 2 to 12 weeks. By changing the ratio of the components, it is possible to significantly change the rate of oxidative degradation, the molecular weight and the degree of crystallinity of the polymer composite material P(OB-OV):PCL.