Development of Poly(Butylene Succinate) Blend-Based Nanocomposites

The recent developments of “Nano-Technology” and “Green Technology” are changing our life style and also solving the pollution problems provoked by human beings. Biopolymers have attracted much attention during the past two decades due to their eco-friendly characteristic (Green Technology). However, the disadvantages including narrow processing window, low heat resistance, and low modulus have limited their applications. To improve the properties of biopolymers, the developments of bio-blends and so-called “bionanocomposites” are two of the feasible/efficient ways. Recently, the usage of hybrid nanofillers shows great potential in enhancing the properties of conventional polymers, as addressed in the literature. Poly(butylene succinate) (PBS) possesses biodegradable character and shows properties similar to polyolefins. The collaborating company (嘉和綠色智財公司) is manufacturing/selling eco-friendly polymers for different applications. To extend the variety of products, the company is willing to join the MOST-subsidized project to develop PBS blend-based nanocomposites. In this project, the PBS will be blended with HDPE first, and then the blend-based composites will be prepared through different melt-mixing procedures. The multi-walled carbon nanotube (MWNT) and organically modified montmorillonite (O-MMT) will serve as hybrid fillers. The studies on the relation between the nanocomposites’ phase morphology/structure and various physical properties will be highlighted. To achieve the optimum formulations of the PBS blend-based bionanocomposites are anticipated through this study. The instruments that will be employed for this project include: twin screw extruder, FESEM, TEM, DSC, TGA, PLM, WAXD, FTIR, DMA, rheometer, tensile tester, HDT tester etc.

Project ID:PB10706-0020
External Project ID:MOST107-2622-E182-003-CC3