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. 2024 Jun 19;16(12):1735.
doi: 10.3390/polym16121735.

Crystallization Behavior and Mechanical Property of Biodegradable Poly(butylene succinate- co-2-methyl succinate)/Cellulose Nanocrystals Composites

Wenxin Yao  1 , Siyu Pan  1 , Zhaobin Qiu  1
Affiliations

Crystallization Behavior and Mechanical Property of Biodegradable Poly(butylene succinate- co-2-methyl succinate)/Cellulose Nanocrystals Composites

Wenxin Yao et al. Polymers (Basel). .

Abstract

Biodegradable poly(butylene succinate-co-2-methyl succinate) (PBSMS)/cellulose nanocrystals (CNC) composites were successfully prepared at low CNC loadings with the aims of improving crystallization and mechanical properties and extending the practical application of PBSMS. CNC is finely dispersed in the PBSMS matrix without obvious aggregations. The low content of CNC obviously promoted the crystallization behavior of PBSMS under different conditions. The spherulitic morphology study revealed that CNC, as an effective heterogeneous nucleating agent, provided more nucleation sites during the melt crystallization process. In addition, the nucleation effect of CNC was quantitatively evaluated by the following two parameters, i.e., nucleation activity and nucleation efficiency. The crystal structure and crystallization mechanism of PBSMS remained unchanged in the composites. In addition, as a reinforcing nanofiller, CNC significantly increased Young's modulus and the yield strength of PBSMS. The crystallization behavior and mechanical properties of PBSMS were significantly improved by the low content of CNC, which should be interesting and essential from the perspective of biodegradable polymer composites.

Keywords: biodegradable; cellulose nanocrystals; composites; crystallization.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Scheme 1
Scheme 1
Chemical structures of (a) PBSMS and (b) CNC.
Figure 1
Figure 1
The standard self-nucleation procedure.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Fractured surface morphology images of (a) PBSMS, (b) PBSMS/CNC0.5, and (c) PBSMS/CNC1.
Figure 3
Figure 3
(a) Nonisothermal melt crystallization behavior of PBSMS and its composites at 10 °C/min, (b) nonisothermal melt crystallization behavior of PBSMS/CNC0.5 at different cooling rates, and (c) variation of Tcc with Φ for PBSMS and its composites.
Figure 3
Figure 3
(a) Nonisothermal melt crystallization behavior of PBSMS and its composites at 10 °C/min, (b) nonisothermal melt crystallization behavior of PBSMS/CNC0.5 at different cooling rates, and (c) variation of Tcc with Φ for PBSMS and its composites.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Plots of relative crystallinity versus crystallization time for PBSMS/CNC0.5.
Figure 5
Figure 5
Avrami plots of PBSMS/CNC0.5.
Figure 6
Figure 6
Variation of t0.5 with Tc for PBSMS and its composites.
Figure 7
Figure 7
Plots of log Φ versus 104/ΔTp2 for PBSMS and its composites.
Figure 8
Figure 8
Self-nucleation of PBSMS: (a) melt crystallization from the indicated Ts and (b) subsequent melting behavior (cooling and heating at 10 °C/min).
Figure 9
Figure 9
The melting behavior of PBSMS and the point data represent the Tcs at indicated Ts values. (The inserted POM images of PBSMS spherulites were cooled from domain I or II).
Figure 10
Figure 10
WAXD profiles of PBSMS and its composites.
Figure 11
Figure 11
Spherulitic morphology of (a) PBSMS, (b) PBSMS/CNC0.5, and (c) PBSMS/CNC1. (the same scalar bar).
Figure 12
Figure 12
Stress–strain curves of PBSMS and its composites.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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