A Novel Network-Structured Compatibilizer for Improving the Interfacial Behavior of PBS/Lignin

A green poly(butylene succinate) (PBS)-lignin gel compatibilizer with novel network structure was successfully synthesized for the first time via dicumyl peroxide (DCP) initiating free radical grafting of PBS and lignin during melt extrusion. FT-IR confirmed that the PBS and lignin were grafted successfully in the extracted gel. Moreover, the mechanical properties of the gel compatibilizer were greatly affected by the concentration of DCP, and we chose the gel compatibilizer with the best mechanical properties as additives. Thus, the PBS/Lignin/gel compatibilizer alloys (abbreviated to P/L/G) based on PBS, lignin, and gel compatibilizer were obtained. Compared with the PBS/lignin's, blend (P/L), the elongation at break and tensile strength of P/L/G samples increased by 16.7 and 207.8% with the inclusion of 15 wt % gel compatibilizer. Also, the thermal stability, storage modulus, and elastic modulus of the P/L/G samples were simultaneously enhanced PBS-PBS as a consequence of the improved interfacial interaction, evidenced by FT-IR and SEM. The study opens up a pathway to improve the compatibility by a novel network-structured gel compatibilizer for fabricating renewable lignin-based biodegradable materials.

Automated summary

A green poly(butylene succinate) (PBS)-lignin gel compatibilizer with a novel network structure was synthesized successfully for the first time via dicumyl peroxide (DCP) initiating free radical grafting of PBS and lignin during melt extrusion. The mechanical properties of the gel compatibilizer were greatly affected by the concentration of DCP, leading to improvements in the elongation at break and tensile strength of the resulting alloys. The study demonstrated enhanced compatibility and mechanical properties in lignin-based biodegradable materials using the gel compatibilizer.