The influence of degree of substitution on blend miscibility and biodegradation of cellulose acetate blends |
| |
Authors: | Charles M. Buchanan Debra Dorschel Robert M. Gardner Ron J. Komarek Andrew J. Matosky Alan W. White Matthew D. Wood |
| |
Affiliation: | (1) Eastman Chemical Company, Research Laboratories, 37662 Kingsport, Tennessee;(2) Valleybrook Center, Eastman Chemical Company, P.O. Box 1955, 37662 Kingsport, Tennessee |
| |
Abstract: | In this account, we report our findings on blends of cellulose acetate having a degree of substitution (DS) of 2.49 (CA2.5) with a cellulose acetate having a DS of 2.06 (CA2.0). This blend system was examined over the composition range of 0–100% CA2.0 employing both solvent casting of films (no plasticizer) and thermal processing (melt-compressed films and injection molding) using poly(ethylene glycol) as a common plasticizer. All thermally processed blends were optically clear and showed no loss in optical quality after storage for several months. Thermal analysis and measurement of physical properties indicate that blends in the middle composition range are partially miscible, while those at the ends of the composition range are miscible. We suggest that the miscibility of these cellulose acetate blends is influenced primarily by the monomer composition of the copolymers. Bench-scale simulated municipal composting confirmed the biodestructability of these blends and indicated that incorporation of a plasticizer accelerated the composting rates of the blends.In vitro aerobic biodegradation testing involving radiochemical labeling conclusively demonstrated that both the lower DS CA2.0 and the plasticizer significantly enhanced the biodegradation of the more highly substituted CA2.5.While this work was in progress, Robert Gardner was struck with cancer and died on June 6, 1995. This paper is dedicated to his memory and to his contributions as a friend and colleague. |
| |
Keywords: | Cellulose acetate composting radiochemical labeling biodegradation blend miscibility |
本文献已被 SpringerLink 等数据库收录! |
|