PHB was characterized after different industrial processes by Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC), Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), Melt Flow Index (MFI), Complex Dielectric Relaxation (CDR) and Size Exclusion Chromatography (SEC). Some properties of PHB were investigated before and after processing, in order to understand how temperature and other extrusion or injection conditions affect the polymer degradation. All the processed samples showed an increasing in the melt flow index, a decreasing of the dynamic crystallization temperature, and a reduction in the molar mass, suggesting some degradation. The molar mass reduction after processing, predicted when only thermal degradation is considered, was calculated in function of the kinetic parameters, such as constant thermal degradation and residence time during the industrial processing. It was found that the real molar mass reduction was higher than the theoretical value, indicating an important contribution of the shearing of polymeric chains during processing in the PHB degradation.
poly(hydroxybutyrate); PHB; biodegradable polymer; degradation
