Forensic Engineering of Advanced Polymeric Materials. Part 1 – Degradation Studies of Polylactide Blends with Atactic Poly[(R,S)-3-hydroxybutyrate] in Paraffin

J. Rydz, K. Wolna-Stypka, G. Adamus, H. Janeczek, M. Musioł, M. Sobota, A. Marcinkowski, A. Kržan and M. Kowalczuk

Abstract
The degradation of the advanced polymeric materials: blends of polylactide with poly[(R,S)-3-hydroxybutyrate] was studied in paraffin (an ingredient used in cosmetics) and compared with the degradation of pure poly[(R,S)-3-hydroxybutyrate]. The interaction between the polymeric materials studied and the paraffin was monitored during the degradation experiments, and the effects of this interaction were reported. Gel permeation chromatography, atomic force microscopy, electrospray mass spectrometry, nuclear magnetic resonance, differential scanning calorimetry and thermal gravimetric analysis revealed that degradation of the investigated materials occurs in the presence of paraffin. In the blends, poly[(R,S)-3-hydroxybutyrate] content was found to extend the disintegration time, and for the blends with good miscibility, reduced the degradation rate in the first step of degradation.

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Keywords
poly[(R,S)-3-hydroxybutyrate], polylactide blend, aliphatic polyesters, forensic science, (bio)degradable polymer, immediate biodegradability, paraffin