Kinetic Expression for the Isothermal Crystallization of P(HB-co-11%HV)V

VIVIANA P. CYRAS; CHAVATI ROZSA; NORMA GALEGO; ANALÍA VÁZQUEZ

JOURNAL OF APPLIED POLYMER SCIENCE

Willey

Lugar: New York; Año: 2004 vol. 94 p. 1657 - 1661

0021-8995

The use of polyhydroxyalkanoates as a biodegradable semicrystalline polymer is currently increasing.  The prediction of crystallinity profiles produced in part  with this polymer requires the knowledge of the kinetic expression.  In the present paper, a kinetic expression of the isothermal melt crystallization of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate)-11%poly(3-hydroxyvalerate) P(HB-co-11%HV) has been studied in two temperature ranges, close to the melting point and close to the glass transition.  Melting behavior and molecular mobility of the amorphous phase were analyzed as a function of crystallization temperatures by performing calorimetric experiments. The Avrami equation was used and the activation energy of the crystal nucleation and growth were obtained.