Characterization of PLA/PBSeT Blends Prepared with Various Hexamethylene Diisocyanate Contents

A state-of-the-art review of environmental behavior and potential risks of biodegradable microplastics in soil ecosystems: Comparison with conventional microplastics

As the use of biodegradable plastics becomes increasingly widespread, their environmental behaviors and impacts warrant attention. Unlike conventional plastics, their degradability predisposes them to fragment into microplastics (MPs) more readily. These MPs subsequently enter the terrestrial environment. The abundant functional groups of biodegradable MPs significantly affect their transport and interactions with other contaminants (e.g., organic contaminants and heavy metals). The intermediates and additives released from depolymerization of biodegradable MPs, as well as coexisting contaminants, induce alterations in soil ecosystems. These processes indicate that the impacts of biodegradable MPs on soil ecosystems might significantly diverge from conventional MPs. However, an exhaustive and timely comparison of the environmental behaviors and effects of biodegradable and conventional MPs within soil ecosystems remains scarce. To address this gap, the Web of Science database and bibliometric software were utilized to identify publications with keywords containing biodegradable MPs and soil. Moreover, this review comprehensively summarizes the transport behavior of biodegradable MPs, their role as contaminant carriers, and the potential risks they pose to soil physicochemical properties, nutrient cycling, biota, and CO2 emissions as compared with conventional MPs. Biodegradable MPs, due to their great transport and adsorption capacity, facilitate the mobility of coexisting contaminants, potentially inducing widespread soil and groundwater contamination. Additionally, these MPs and their depolymerization products can disrupt soil ecosystems by altering physicochemical properties, increasing microbial biomass, decreasing microbial diversity, inhibiting the development of plants and animals, and increasing CO2 emissions. Finally, some perspectives are proposed to outline future research directions. Overall, this study emphasizes the pronounced effects of biodegradable MPs on soil ecosystems relative to their conventional counterparts and contributes to the understanding and management of biodegradable plastic contamination within the terrestrial ecosystem.

Thermoplastic Polyurethane Derived from CO2 for the Cathode Binder in Li-CO2 Battery

High-energy-density Li-CO2 batteries are promising candidates for large-capacity energy storage systems. However, the development of Li-CO2 batteries has been hindered by low cycle life and high overpotential. In this study, we propose a CO2-based thermoplastic polyurethane (CO2-based TPU) with CO2 adsorption properties and excellent self-healing performance to replace traditional polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) as the cathode binder. The CO2-based TPU enhances the interfacial concentration of CO2 at the cathode/electrolyte interfaces, effectively increasing the discharge voltage and lowering the charge voltage of Li-CO2 batteries. Moreover, the CO2 fixed by urethane groups (-NH-COO-) in the CO2-based TPU are difficult to shuttle to and corrode the Li anode, minimizing CO2 side reactions with lithium metal and improving the cycling performance of Li-CO2 batteries. In this work, Li-CO2 batteries with CO2-based TPU as the multifunctional binders exhibit stable cycling performance for 52 cycles at a current density of 0.2 A g-1, with a distinctly lower polarization voltage than PVDF bound Li-CO2 batteries.

Synthesis and Characterization of Poly(Butylene Sebacate-Co-Terephthalate) Copolyesters with Pentaerythritol as Branching Agent

Poly(butylene sebacate-co-terephthalate) (PBSeT) copolyesters are prepared by melt polymerization via two-step transesterification and polycondensation using pentaerythritol (PE) as a branching agent. The effects of the incorporated PE on its chemical, thermal, mechanical, and degradation properties, along with the rheological properties of its melt, are investigated. The highest molecular weight and intrinsic viscosity along with the lowest melt flow index were achieved at a PE content of 0.2 mol%, with minimal reduction in the tensile strength and the highest tear strength. The addition of PE did not significantly influence the thermal behavior and stability of the PBSeT copolyesters; however, the elongation at break decreased with increasing PE content. The sample with 0.2 mol% PE exhibited a higher storage modulus and loss modulus as well as a lower loss angle tangent than the other samples, indicating improved melt elasticity. The incorporation of more than 0.2 mol% PE enhanced the enzymatic degradation of copolyesters. In summary, including within 0.2 mol%, PE effectively improved both the processability-related characteristics and degradation properties of PBSeT copolyesters, suggesting their potential suitability for use in agricultural and packaging materials.

Solid State Polymerization of Biodegradable Poly(butylene sebacate-co-terephthalate): A Rapid, Facile Method for Property Enhancement

Poly(butylene sebacate-co-terephthalate) (PBSeT) has generated attention as a promising biopolymer for preparing bioplastics. However, there are limited studies on the synthesis of PBSeT, impeding its commercialization. Herein, with a view to addressing this challenge, biodegradable PBSeT was modified using solid state polymerization (SSP) with various ranges of time and temperature. The SSP used three different temperatures below the melting temperature of PBSeT. The polymerization degree of SSP was investigated using Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy. The changes in the rheological properties of PBSeT after SSP were investigated using a rheometer and an Ubbelodhe viscometer. Differential scanning calorimetry and X-ray diffraction showed that the crystallinity of PBSeT was higher after SSP. The investigation revealed that after SSP for 40 min at 90 °C, PBSeT exhibited higher intrinsic viscosity (increased from 0.47 to 0.53 dL/g), crystallinity, and complex viscosity than PBSeT polymerized at other temperatures. However, a high SSP processing time resulted in a decrease in these values. In this experiment, SSP was most effectively performed in the temperature range closest to the melting temperature of PBSeT. This indicates that SSP could be a facile and rapid method for improving the crystallinity and thermal stability of synthesized PBSeT.

Prominent toxicity of isocyanates and maleic anhydrides to Caenorhabditis elegans: Multilevel assay for typical organic additives of biodegradable plastics

Biodegradable plastics (BDP) are increasingly applied; however, there has been of concerns about their environmental safety, especially from nondegradable additive compositions. Until now, data of ecotoxicity of BDP additives is scarce. Here, nematode C. elegans was used to comparatively evaluate toxicity of an isocyanate additive, i.e., Hexamethylene diisocyanate (HDI), a maleic anhydride, i.e., Diallyl maleate (DIM), and other four BDP organic additives. These additives caused lethality of nematodes at µg L^-1 level, of lowest LC₅₀ value of HDI/DIM. Uniform exposure to these additives resulted in various degrees of inhibitions in body volumes and longevity, indicating developmental toxicity. Moreover, BDP additives induced significant elevations of gst-4 expression, especially mean 123.54 %/234.29 % increase in HDI/DIM group, but reduced ges-1 expression, which indicates oxidative damages and mitochondrial dysfunction. BDP additives further caused inhibition in locomotor and food intake/excretion behavior, and related damages of glutamatergic neurons and GABAergic neurons, indicating their neurotoxicity. We found HDI and DIM presented relatively strong effects on susceptible endpoints including lethality, gst-4, mean lifespan, food intake and excretion behavior. Overall, this study suggests prominent ecotoxic risk of isocyanates and maleic anhydrides as BDP additives, which is significant for the selection of environmentally friendly BDP additives.

Reinforcing a Thermoplastic Starch/Poly(butylene adipate-co-terephthalate) Composite Foam with Polyethylene Glycol under Supercritical Carbon Dioxide

Biodegradable foams are a potential substitute for most fossil-fuel-derived polymer foams currently used in the cushion furniture-making industry. Thermoplastic starch (TPS) and poly(butylene adipate-co-terephthalate) (PBAT) are biodegradable polymers, although their poor compatibility does not support the foam-forming process. In this study, we investigated the effect of polyethylene glycol (PEG) with or without silane A (SA) on the foam density, cell structure and tensile properties of TPS/PBAT blends. The challenges in foam forming were explored through various temperature and pressure values under supercritical carbon dioxide (CO₂) conditions. The obtained experimental results indicate that PEG and SA act as a plasticizer and compatibilizer, respectively. The 50% (TPS with SA + PEG)/50% PBAT blends generally produce foams that have a lower foam density and better cell structure than those of 50% (TPS with PEG)/50% PBAT blends. The tensile property of each 50% (TPS with SA + PEG)/50% PBAT foam is generally better than that of each 50% (TPS with PEG)/50% PBAT foam.

Maleic Anhydride-Grafted PLA Preparation and Characteristics of Compatibilized PLA/PBSeT Blend Films

Poly(butylene sebacate-co-terephthalate) (PBSeT) is a biodegradable flexible polymer suitable for melt blending with other biodegradable polymers. Melt blending with a compatibilizer is a common strategy for increasing miscibility between polymers. In this study, PBSeT polyester was synthesized, and poly(lactic acid) (PLA) was blended with 25 wt% PBSeT by melt processing with 3–6 phr PLA-grafted maleic anhydride (PLA-g-MAH) compatibilizers. PLA-g-MAH enhanced the interfacial adhesion of the PLA/PBSeT blend, and their mechanical and morphological properties confirmed that the miscibility also increased. Adding more than 6 phr of PLA-g-MAH significantly improved the mechanical properties and accelerated the cold crystallization of the PLA/PBSeT blends. Furthermore, the thermal stabilities of the blends with PLA-g-MAH were slightly enhanced. PLA/PBSeT blends with and without PLA-g-MAH were not significantly different after 120 h, whereas all blends showed a more facilitated hydrolytic degradation rate than neat PLA. These findings indicate that PLA-g-MAH effectively improves PLA/PBSeT compatibility and can be applied in the packaging industry.