Miscibility and thermal behavior of poly (ε-caprolactone)/long-chain ester of cellulose blends

Yuzhi Xu; Chunpeng Wang; Nicole M. Stark; Zhiyong Cai; Fuxiang Chu

doi:10.1016/j.carbpol.2011.11.079

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Miscibility and thermal behavior of poly (ε-caprolactone)/long-chain ester of cellulose blends

Formally Refereed

Authors:

Yuzhi Xu, Chunpeng Wang, Nicole M. Stark, Zhiyong Cai, Fuxiang Chu

Year:

2012

Type:

Scientific Journal

Station:

Forest Products Laboratory

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.carbpol.2011.11.079

Source:

Carbohydrate Polymers, 88 (2012) 422-427

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Abstract

The long-chain cellulose ester (LCCE) cellulose laurate, poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL) and their blends were characterized by tensile strength, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), dynamic mechanical thermal analysis, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The compatibility of the blends was investigated and the TEM results showed that PCL tended to disperse as discrete particles in LCCE. FTIR revealed that there were several specific interactions between the chains of PCL and LCCE: the interaction between C—H and O=C—, C=O· · ·O=C— or —C=O· · ·O—C dipole–dipole interactions. The addition of PCL into LCCE increased slightly the tensile stress at break and the elongation up to 90/10 LCCE/PCL (w/w), which suggested partial compatibility between the polymers. In agreement with this, TGA showed that the compatibility of PCL and LCCE enhanced the thermal stability of LCCE in the blends. Together, these results indicated the existence of intermolecular interactions between the two polymers.

Keywords

Cellulose laurate, Poly (ε, -caprolactone), Blends, Thermal behaviors, Miscibility

Citation

Xu, Yuzhi; Wang, Chunpeng; Stark, Nicole M.; Cai, Zhiyong; Chu, Fuxiang. 2012. Miscibility and thermal behavior of poly (E-caprolactone)/long-chain ester of cellulose blends. Carbohydrate Polymers. 88: 422-427. DOI 10.1016/j.carbpol.2011.11.079.