Characterization of Biodegradable Polymers for Porous Structure: Further Steps toward Sustainable Plastics

Plastic pollution poses a significant environmental challenge, necessitating the investigation of bioplastics with reduced end-of-life impact. This study systematically characterizes four promising bioplastics-polybutylene adipate terephthalate (PBAT), polybutylene succinate (PBS), poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) (PHBV), and polylactic acid (PLA). Through a comprehensive analysis of their chemical, thermal, and mechanical properties, we elucidate their structural intricacies, processing behaviors, and potential morphologies. Employing an environmentally friendly process utilizing supercritical carbon dioxide, we successfully produced porous materials with microcellular structures. PBAT, PBS, and PLA exhibit closed-cell morphologies, while PHBV presents open cells, reflecting their distinct overall properties. Notably, PBAT foam demonstrated an average porous area of 1030.86 μm2, PBS showed an average porous area of 673 μm2, PHBV displayed open pores with an average area of 116.6 μm2, and PLA exhibited an average porous area of 620 μm2. Despite the intricacies involved in correlating morphology with material properties, the observed variations in pore area sizes align with the findings from chemical, thermal, and mechanical characterization. This alignment enhances our understanding of the morphological characteristics of each sample. Therefore, here, we report an advancement and comprehensive research in bioplastics, offering deeper insights into their properties and potential morphologies with an easy sustainable foaming process. The alignment of the process with sustainability principles, coupled with the unique features of each polymer, positions them as environmentally conscious and versatile materials for a range of applications.