PLASTICIZATION AND BIODEGRADATON OF CELLULOSE ACETATE

The study of biodegradable low-molecular-weight aliphatic polyesters as a plasticizer for cellulose acetate(CA), with a degree of substitution(DS) of 2.5, was conducted. A series of biodegradable low-molecular-weight aliphtic polyesters (MW=670 to 2900) consisting of dicarboxylic acids and diols was synthesized in this research. The plasticized CA's were prepared first by dry blending using a high-speed mixer, and then through melt compounding by a kneader. The molecular weight effect of low-molecular-weight aliphatic polyesters as a plasticizer was not evident on mechanical properties but on melt compounding. With regard to mechanical properties poly(ethylene succinate) wa a particularly suitable plasticizer for CA although other aliphatic polyester studied in this research were also miscible with CA. The biodegradation and GPC studies of plasticized CA's indicated that the weight loss of low-molecular-weight aliphatic polyesters was much faster than that of CA.