A new process for preparation of thermoplastic blends with high polar polymers

• Grant number: 15/07744-0
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctoral
• Start date: July 01, 2015
• End date: August 31, 2019
• Field of knowledge: Engineering - Materials and Metallurgical Engineering - Nonmetallic Materials
• Principal Investigator: Antonio José Felix de Carvalho
• Grantee: Rafael Grande
• Host Institution: Escola de Engenharia de São Carlos (EESC). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Carlos , SP, Brazil
• Associated scholarship(s): 17/20891-8 - Composite microfibers fabrication based on interfacial complexation of tempo oxidized cellulose nanofibers and chitosan, BE.EP.PD

Abstract

The development of new processing techniques for polymeric materials which can enhance its applications are of great interest in scientific community and in the industrial field. In many cases in special for natural polymers it is a real technological challenge since most of these polymers do not melt like the conventional thermoplastics which limit their application in several areas. Among these materials chitosan is of great importance due to its functional properties in particular its biocide and fungicide activity. Recently, our research group described two new processing methods involving chitosan. The first one an oil-in-water emulsion was used to produce ternary blends of chitosna-PVA-PLA with superior mechanical properties (Biomacromolecules, vol. 12, No 4, p 907-914, 2011). In a more recent work (Industrial Crops and Products doi. 10.1016 / j.indcrop.2014.12.041) we described a innovator processing method where the previous studied blend produced by dispersing a miscible phase of chitosan-poly (vinyl alcohol) (PVA) into a poly(lactic acid) matrix, giving rise to a thermoplastic compatible blend. The present project proposes a systematic study of the processing method developed by, investigating the possibility of its generalization for other polymeric matrix where in place of PLA other polyester could be tested (poly (butyrate succinate adipate) (PBSA), poly (hydroxyl butyrate, PHB) and polycaprolactone (PCL)) and in place of chitosan other polar polymers could be used. The project have also the objective of investigate the influence of plasticizers type and proportion. This project is of utmost importance since the earlier work done by the candidate laid the foundation to development of new system of polymer blends involving polymers that are not fused by conventional methods, such as chitosan, which lack a systematic and comprehensive study.

Scientific publications

(5)

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

GRANDE, RAFAEL; TROVATTI, ELIANE; PIMENTA, MARIA TEREZA B.; CARVALHO, ANTONIO J. F.. Microfibrillated Cellulose from Sugarcane Bagasse as a Biorefinery Product for Ethanol Production. JOURNAL OF RENEWABLE MATERIALS, v. 6, n. 2, p. 195-202, FEB 2018. (15/07744-0)

LANCAROVICI ALVES, ANA CLARA; GRANDE, RAFAEL; FELIX CARVALHO, ANTONIO JOSE. Thermal and Mechanical Properties of Thermoplastic Starch and Poly(Vinyl Alcohol-Co-Ethylene) Blends. JOURNAL OF RENEWABLE MATERIALS, v. 7, n. 3, p. 245-252, 2019. (15/07744-0)

GRANDE, RAFAEL; PESSAN, LUIZ ANTONIO. Effects of nanoclay addition on phase morphology and stability of polycarbonate/styrene-acrylonitrile blends. APPLIED CLAY SCIENCE, v. 140, p. 112-118, MAY 2017. (15/07744-0)

GRANDE, RAFAEL; TROVATTI, ELIANE; CARVALHO, ANTONIO J. F.; GANDINI, ALESSANDRO. Continuous microfiber drawing by interfacial charge complexation between anionic cellulose nanofibers and cationic chitosan. JOURNAL OF MATERIALS CHEMISTRY A, v. 5, n. 25, p. 13098-13103, JUL 7 2017. (15/07744-0, 12/05184-0)

GRANDE, RAFAEL; PESSAN, LUIZ ANTONIO; CARVALHO, ANTONIO J. F.. Thermoplastic blends of chitosan: A method for the preparation of high thermally stable blends with polyesters. Carbohydrate Polymers, v. 191, p. 44-52, JUL 1 2018. (15/07744-0)