Spectroscopic studies and thermal properties of PCL/PMMA biopolymer blend

Abstract

Polycaprolactone/Polymethylmethacrylate (PCL/PMMA) biopolymer blend can be prepared by casting technique. Structural, optical and thermal properties of the blend have been studied using X-ray diffraction (XRD), infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy (UV-Vis) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). XRD show two diffraction peaks at 2θ = 21.4° and 23.8° which attributed to the planes (110) and (200) that represent crystallographic planes of semi-crystalline PCL, respectively, where PMMA revealed a broad amorphous hump observed around 2θ = 15°. The FTIR spectra showed some variations in the position and intensity of some absorption bands which reveal an interaction and good miscibility between the two polymers. TGA suggested that the thermal stability increases with increasing PCL concentration; this indicates the incorporation of PCL into the host. Approximately the pure PCL mass loss remains constant until complete decomposition occurs at about 430 °C, whereas PMMA complete decomposition occurs at about 400 °C. So, decomposition temperature of PCL is higher than PMMA by nearly 30 °C.