Thermal, Mechanical and Rheological Properties of Eco-friendly Poly(propylene carbonate)/Poly(1,2-propylene succinate) Blends

In order to improve the flexibility of poly(propylene carbonate)(PPC), poly(1,2-propylene succinate)(PPSu) was used to plasticize PPC in a batch mixer. The effects of PPSu on the miscibility, thermal stability, mechanical and rheological properties of the blends were investigated. PPC was partially miscible with PPSu. It was demonstrated that PPSu decreased the glass transition temperature and melt viscosity of PPC, as shown in the DSC and rheological curves. With the increase in PPSu content, the PPC/PPSu blends showed decreased tensile strength, however, the elongation at break was increased to 1100% for the 70/30 PPC/PPSu blend. The introduction of PPSu provided an efficient and novel plasticization method to extend the application area of PPC.