ARS | Publication request: Compatibility in Polymer Blends Comprising Biodegradable Polyesters

Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract
Publication Acceptance Date: December 17, 2004
Publication Date: December 17, 2004
Citation: Biresaw, G. 2004. Compatibility in polymer blends comprising biodegradable polyesters [abstract]. Biodegradable Polyesters International Conference on Polymer Science and Technology. p.28.

Technical Abstract: Biodegradable polymers are actively investigated as critical ingredients in the development of a variety of blends from synthetic and natural polymers. Such blends have biocompatibility, biodegradability, and other characteristics that are important in a variety of applications including packaging, drug delivery, and medical devices. Successful development of such blends, however, requires that the biodegradable polymers be compatible with the synthetic and natural polymers they are blended with. Various methods are used to probe the degree of interaction between polymers in a blend. Such investigations are critical for understanding and predicting the compatibility of polymers in the blend. In this presentation, recent results obtained using a variety of techniques to investigate polymer-polymer interactions in model binary blends will be discussed. The model binary blends comprise polystyrene and one of the following biodegradable polyesters: polylactic acid, polycaprolactone, poly(tetramethylenemadipate-co-terephthalate).