Plastics are finding increasing application in our daily life, in products such as bottles and automobiles, for packing, etc. Several possibilities have been considered to minimize the environmental impact caused by the use of conventional polymers. An important alternative is the biodegradable polymer, which can be degraded through the action of naturally occurring microorganisms, such as bacteria, fungi or algae. Technological applications of biodegradable polymers usually require improvements on their mechanical properties. In this context, novel polymer blends have been obtained for inexpensive applications. In the present work, the methodology of preparation of new polymer blends is described. The blends contain different quantities of starch, with Poly (e-caprolactone)-(PCL), Poly (ß-hydroxybutyrate)-(PHB) and Poly (ß-hydroxybutyrate-co-b-hydroxyvalerate)-(PHBV). The resistance to the tensile strength of the blends with 50% in mass of starch was 35% and 60% lower than for the pure PCL and PHBV, respectively. Upon exposure to microorganisms in activated mud, the mixtures of PCL or PHBV with larger amounts of starch display higher rates of degradation.
Mixtures; poly (ß-hydroxybutyrate); poly (e-caprolactone); poly (ß-hydroxybutyrate-co-b-hydroxyvalerate) and starch
