TY - JOUR
T1 - Structure–property relationships of reactively compatibilized PHB/EVA/starch blends
AU - Ma, P.
AU - Xu, P.
AU - Chen, M.
AU - Dong, W.
AU - Cai, Xiaoxia
AU - Schmit, P.
AU - Spoelstra, A.B.
AU - Lemstra, P.J.
PY - 2014
Y1 - 2014
N2 - A method is addressed to prepare poly(hydroxybutyrate)/poly(ethylene-co-vinyl acetate)/starch (PHB/EVA/starch) blends with fine dispersion of starch, i.e. by an in situ compatibilization in the presence of maleic anhydride (MA) and peroxide. The starch particle size is reduced from hundreds-µm to sub-µm after the compatibilization accompanied by an improvement in interfacial adhesion. Meanwhile, starch-in-EVA-type morphology is observed in the blends. The EVA and starch gradually changed into a (partially) co-continuous phase with increasing MA content. Consequently, toughness of the blends was improved as evidenced by an increase in elongation at break and tensile-fracture energy (work). Cavitation, fibrillation and matrix yielding are regarded as the toughening mechanism for the compatibilized blends. In addition, the Tg of the EVA phase is dependent on its phase morphology in the blends while the thermal behavior of the PHB was only slightly affected by the compatibilization.
AB - A method is addressed to prepare poly(hydroxybutyrate)/poly(ethylene-co-vinyl acetate)/starch (PHB/EVA/starch) blends with fine dispersion of starch, i.e. by an in situ compatibilization in the presence of maleic anhydride (MA) and peroxide. The starch particle size is reduced from hundreds-µm to sub-µm after the compatibilization accompanied by an improvement in interfacial adhesion. Meanwhile, starch-in-EVA-type morphology is observed in the blends. The EVA and starch gradually changed into a (partially) co-continuous phase with increasing MA content. Consequently, toughness of the blends was improved as evidenced by an increase in elongation at break and tensile-fracture energy (work). Cavitation, fibrillation and matrix yielding are regarded as the toughening mechanism for the compatibilized blends. In addition, the Tg of the EVA phase is dependent on its phase morphology in the blends while the thermal behavior of the PHB was only slightly affected by the compatibilization.
U2 - 10.1016/j.carbpol.2014.02.058
DO - 10.1016/j.carbpol.2014.02.058
M3 - Article
C2 - 24751277
SN - 0144-8617
VL - 108
SP - 299
EP - 306
JO - Carbohydrate Polymers
JF - Carbohydrate Polymers
ER -