Improved mechanical properties, barrier properties and degradation behavior of poly(butylenes adipate-co-terephthalate)/poly(propylene carbonate) films

Poly(butylene adipate-co-terephthalate) (PBAT) was blended with poly(propylene carbonate) (PPC) by a twin screw extruder and then the blends were made onto films via the blown film technique. PPC dispersed uniformly in the PBAT matrix, and the glass transition temperature (T (g) ) of PBAT were decreased with the increasing content of PPC. Wide angle X-ray diffraction confirmed that the crystallite dimension of PBAT was decreased after blending PBAT with the amorphous PPC. The results of mechanical tests indicated that the PBAT/PPC films showed high tensile strength and tear strength. In addition, the PBAT/PPC films showed high carbon dioxide permeability and moderate oxygen and nitrogen permeability. After embedding in soil, the weight loss and mechanical properties analysis demonstrated that the films were remarkably biodegraded. These findings contributed to application of the biodegradable materials, such as design and manufacture polymer packaging.