POLY(BUTYL ACRYLATE) INCLUSIVE POLYMERIZATION IN THE PRESENCE OF BACTERIAL POLYESTERS .1. SYNTHESIS AND PRELIMINARY MECHANICAL AND MORPHOLOGICAL CHARACTERIZATION

Linear polyesters of 3-hydroxybutyric acid (PHB) and its copolymers with 3-hydroxyvaleric acid (PHBV) are produced by the fermentation of glucose by the bacterium Alcaligenes Eutrophus1,2. Their large-scale commercial development is severely limited, until recently, by the prohibitive cost, narrow processability window (T(deg) - T(m)), and, above all, the low impact resistance around room temperature and below due to very high crystallinity and relatively high glass transition temperature. This paper reports on an attractive route to impact modification of PHBV by a reactive blending method. Interesting improvements are obtained by using 30 wt.-% of acrylate rubber. Correlations are found between mechanical response and morphology of blends.