A comparative study of crystallization kinetics of a miscible biodegradable poly(butylene succinate-co-butylene adipate) blend with poly(hydroxyl ether biphenyl A) and its neat component

Biodegradable poly(butylene succinate-co-butylene adipate) (PBSA)/poly(hydroxyl ether biphenyl A) (phenoxy) blends have been prepared successfully in this work via solution and casting method using tetrahydrofuran as mutual solvent. PBSA is miscible with phenoxy as evidenced by the single composition dependent glass transition temperature over the whole composition range. Crystallization kinetics, spherulitic morphology and growth rate, and crystal structure of a PBSA/phenoxy 80/20 blend were studied with various techniques and compared with those of neat PBSA. Isothermal melt crystallization kinetics of neat and blended PBSA was studied and analyzed by the Avrami method. It is found that blending with phenoxy does not change the crystallization mechanism of PBSA but reduces the crystallization rate relative to neat PBSA; moreover, the crystal structure of PBSA is not modified. Nonisothermal melt crystallization kinetics of neat and blended PBSA was investigated and analyzed by the Ozawa method. The Ozawa method is found to be able to describe the crystallization process of both neat and blended PBSA well.

► Biodegradable crystalline PBSA is miscible with amorphous phenoxy.
► Blending with phenoxy reduces the isothermal melt crystallization rate of PBSA.
► The crystallization mechanism and crystal structure of PBSA is not modified.
► The Ozawa method describes the nonisothermal melt crystallization of PBSA well.