Refining Crystallization, Mechanical, and Degradation Properties of Poly(butylene carbonate) via Isothermal Annealing Treatment

The simple modification of PBC by isothermal annealing aims to improve the mechanical properties of the material, especially the tensile properties, through the crystallinity of the polymer. The results showed that the tensile properties of PBC increased by 41 % after annealing, and the corresponding crystallinity also increased by 51.46 %.

Abstract

Poly(butylene carbonate) (PBC) is synthesized through the polycondensation of diphenyl carbonate and 1,4-butanediol (BDO), employing a cost-effective methodology. This research investigates the formation of PBC into a dumbbell configuration via melt hot pressing. The study examines the relationship between the annealing process—specifically, variations in annealing duration and temperature—and the resultant degree of crystallinity and mechanical properties of the PBC dumbbells. It was observed that with an increase in annealing temperature, both the tensile strength and elastic modulus of PBC improved, whereas the elongation at break remained constant. Following annealing at 50°C for 7 h, the mechanical properties and crystallinity, as determined by DSC, reached peak values of 42.56 ± 2.94 MPa and 23.78%, reflecting increases of 41% and 51.46%, respectively, in comparison to the non-annealed samples. DSC and XRD analyses indicated that the degree of crystallization was enhanced without the emergence of any new phases during the isothermal annealing process. The degradation test illustrates that the annealed PBC can maintain excellent tensile strength in the degradation process.

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