Influence of reprocessing cycles on the physicochemical properties and (bio)degradation in soil of poly(butylene succinate).

• Grant number: 24/12111-6
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: October 01, 2024
• End date: September 30, 2025
• Field of knowledge: Engineering - Materials and Metallurgical Engineering - Nonmetallic Materials
• Principal Investigator: Silvia Helena Prado Bettini
• Grantee: Miguel Moraes Puccini Martim
• Host Institution: Centro de Ciências Exatas e de Tecnologia (CCET). Universidade Federal de São Carlos (UFSCAR). São Carlos , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Concern for the environment and the search for sustainable practices have become global imperatives. In this context, recycling and the use of biodegradable polymers are emerging as promising solutions to mitigate the negative impacts of petroleum-based plastic waste that accumulates in landfills. Among the main biodegradable polymers currently being studied, poly(butylene succinate) (PBS) stands out for its properties similar to polyolefins such as PE and PP. The high biodegradability of PBS in biotic systems, especially in composting media, together with its ability to be reprocessed multiple times, make it attractive for application in packaging, films or short-term disposable products, since it maintains thermal and mechanical properties comparable to the thermoplastics mentioned above. In view of this, this research focuses on assessing how reprocessing and, in turn, recycling affect the properties and biodegradation rates of PBS. Studies on thermoplastics show that multiple extrusions cause increased degradation at high shear rates and temperatures. Thus, recycled polymers lose virgin polymer characteristics, affecting melt viscosity, molar mass distribution and crystalline morphology.As the physicochemical characteristics are altered during multiple extrusion processes, especially the molar mass, which can be altered in an ambiguous way in biodegradation rates, this project aims to study the relationship between the physicochemical characteristics and the biodegradation rate of PBS.