Biodegradable composites based on poly(hydroxybutyrate-co-hydroxyvalerate), nanocellulose and graphene: from rheology to microstructure

• Grant number: 24/20172-5
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Support Program for Fixating Young Doctors
• Start date: December 01, 2024
• End date: November 30, 2025
• Field of knowledge: Engineering - Materials and Metallurgical Engineering - Nonmetallic Materials
• Principal Investigator: Guilhermino José Macêdo Fechine
• Grantee: Paulo Alexandre Amorim
• Host Institution: Instituto Mackenzie de Pesquisas em Grafeno e Nanotecnologias (Mackgraphe). Universidade Presbiteriana Mackenzie (UPM). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 23/00894-3 - Biodegradable composites based on poly(hydroxybutyrate-co-hydroxyvalerate), nanocellulose and graphene: from rheology to microstructure, AP.R

Abstract

Biodegradable polymers such as poly(hydroxybutyrate-co-hydroxyvalerate) (PHBV) are a possible alternative to the environmental disadvantages associated with petroleum-derived polymers. However, the mechanical properties of PHBV fall short of what is desired for technological applications. The addition of graphene and derivatives, as well as nanocellulose crystals, have the potential to reinforce PHBV, in order to generate composite materials with mechanical properties suitable for large-scale production and applications. This proposal presents a work plan focused on the rheological characterization, using shear and extensional flows, of nanocomposites based on PHBV and nanocellulose crystals associated with graphene and graphene oxide. The expected results include the development of a three-phase composite, and the association of the rheological behavior of composites with the morphology of the dispersed phases.