Supakij Suttiruengwong^1,*, Kanchana Sotho¹, Manus Seadan²

Journal of Renewable Materials, Vol.2, No.1, pp. 85-92, 2014, DOI:10.7569/JRM.2013.634135

Abstract A one-step process in an internal mixer was used to prepare Poly(butylene succinate) (PBS)/high-loading modifi ed tapioca starch (30–40 wt%) blends with low glycerol content (10–20 wt% of starch) as a plasticizer. To promote a good compatibility, two reactive agents, maleic anhydride (MA)/peroxide and methylene diphenyl diisocyanate (MDI), were selected and compared. The mechanical properties, morphology, and Molau test of the blends were investigated. The compatibility of PBS/starch blends was improved by both reactive agents at the suitable plasticizer loading (glycerol 10 wt% of starch). It was demonstrated that increasing mechanical properties resulted in good adhesion of PBS/starch interface and… More >

Xu Yan¹, Changheng Liu², Liang Qiao¹, Kaili Zhu², Hongsheng Tan^1,*, Shuhua Dong¹, Zhitao Lin¹

Journal of Renewable Materials, Vol.10, No.4, pp. 1039-1048, 2022, DOI:10.32604/jrm.2022.017239

Abstract The crystallization behavior, crystal morphology and form, and viscoelastic behavior of poly(butylene succinate) (PBS) and coir fiber/PBS composites (CPB) were investigated by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), polarized optical microscopy (POM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA). The results of DSC measurement show that the crystallization temperature increases with the filling of coir fibers. POM images reveal that the spherulitic size and crystallization behavior of PBS are influenced by the coir fibers in the composites. XRD curves show that the crystal form of pure PBS and CPB are remaining almost identical. In addition, the storage modulus of CPB significantly… More >

Yottha Srithep^1,*, Onpreeya Veang-in¹, Dutchanee Pholharn², Lih-Sheng Turng³, John Morris⁴

Journal of Renewable Materials, Vol.9, No.7, pp. 1267-1281, 2021, DOI:10.32604/jrm.2021.015604

Abstract A low-molecular-weight polylactide-poly(butylene succinate) (PLA-PBS) copolymer was synthesized and incorporated into polylactide (PLA) as a novel toughening agent by solvent casting. The copolymer had the same chemical structure and function as PLA and it was used as a plasticizer to PLA. The copolymer was blended with PLA at a weight ratio from 2 to 10 wt%. Phase separation between PLA and PLA-PBS was not observed from their scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images and the crystal structure of PLA almost remained unchanged based on the X-ray diffraction (XRD) measurement. The melt flow index (MFI) of the blends was higher as the… More >

Anna Kundys^1,*, Justyna Ostrowska², Urszula Chojnacka¹, Zuzanna Grodzka¹, Aleksandra Lange¹, Magdalena Paluch²

Journal of Renewable Materials, Vol.6, No.6, pp. 611-618, 2018, DOI:10.32604/JRM.2018.00134

Abstract The degradation of thermoplastic starch blend in the presence of commercial α-amylase and unpurified amylase of microbial origin was investigated. The blends consisting of thermoplastic starch and poly(butylene succinate) have potential use in packaging applications thus, it is essential to establish susceptibility to degradation. Molar mass loss, gravimetric weight loss, and molecular structure were evaluated. The changes in the surface were observed with scanning electron microscopy. It was confirmed that there was a significant difference in gravimetric weight loss between the blends degraded in two different solutions. Unpurified enzymes of microbial origin, produced by Rhizopus oryzae cultures decomposed analyzed materials… More >

Jithin Joy^1,2,3, Cintil Jose³, Srirama B. Varanasi⁴, Lovely Mathew P.^2,3, Sabu Thomas², Srikanth Pilla^1,5*

Journal of Renewable Materials, Vol.4, No.5, pp. 351-364, 2016, DOI:10.7569/JRM.2016.634128

Abstract Isora nanofibers (INF) were produced by a combined thermal-chemical-mechanical method from Helicteres isora plant. The resulting fibers were analyzed using transmission electron microscopy and scanning electron microscopy, which showed a network-like structure with a length of 600 nm, width of 50 nm and an aspect ratio of 12. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy indicated that chemical treatments progressively removed noncellulosic constituents. X-ray diffraction analysis revealed that crystallinity increased with successive chemical treatments. Using the synthesized isora nanofibers, poly(butylene succinate) (PBS)-based biodegradable nanocomposites were prepared. The nanocomposites were processed using a Brabender twin-screw compounder and an injection molding machine. Effects of INF… More >