Biodegradability of Thermally Aged PHB, PHB-V, and PCL in Soil Compostage

摘要

The biodegradability of poly-β- hydroxybutyrate (PHB), poly-p-hydroxybutyrate-co-valerate (PHB-V) and poly-ε-caprolactone (PCL) were examined following thermal aging in an oven for 192, 425 and 600 h. Different temperatures, 100, 120 and 140℃ for PHB and PHB-V and 30, 40 and 50℃ for PCL were used to assess the influence of this parameter on biodegra-dation. The biodegradability tests were done in soil compostage at pH 11.0 and involved measuring the residual mass of polymer. Thermal analysis of the polymers was done using a differential scanning calorimeter (DSC). The melting temperature and crystallinity were also determined. Thermal ageing increased the biodegradability only for PHB at 120 and 140℃, and there was no correlation between crystallinity and the biodegradation of the polymers.