Design and Characterization of High Gas Barrier and Fully Biobased Poly(1,5-pentylene succinate-co-itaconate-co-furanoate) Elastomers

Biomass feedstock is an accessible alternative to finite fossil chemical resources for fabricating durable and high-performance polymers. In this study, fully biobased poly(1,5-pentylene succinate-co-itaconate-co-furanoate) (PPeSIFs) copolyesters were synthesized by using transesterification and melt polycondensation methods from dimethyl furandicarboxylate, dimethyl succinate, dimethyl itaconate, and 1,5-pentanediol. Dimethyl itaconate was incorporated to provide the cross-linkable reaction sites. Four kinds of monomers were employed to regulate the glass transition temperature and suppress crystallization. Silica/PPeSIF nanocomposites exhibited good mechanical properties, such as an ultimate tensile strength of 17.2 MPa and an elongation at break of 253%. This elastomer displayed outstanding gas barrier properties comparable to those of butyl rubber, with an O2 permeability 13 times lower than that of natural rubber. Positron annihilation lifetime spectroscopy tests demonstrated that furan moieties significantly reduced the free volume of PPeSIFs. This work provides a promising route for preparing a biobased elastomer with intrinsic high gas barrier properties.