Sustainable and biodegradable poly(butylene-co-1,4-cyclohexanedimethylene carbonate) with enhanced thermal, mechanical, and barrier properties

This study focuses on the synthesis and property evaluation of a novel transparent biodegradable copolycarbonate, poly(butylene-co-1,4-cyclohexanedimethylene carbonate) (PBCC), which was synthesized via melt polycondensation. The chemical structure composition and random characteristics of PBCC were confirmed by 1 H NMR and 13 C NMR. With the increase of 1,4-cyclohexanedimethylene carbonate (CC) unit content, the thermal properties were significantly improved, T g and T d,5% increased from –22.2 °C and 307 °C for PBC 16 C to 30.4 °C and 342 °C for PBC 85 C. The maximum values of the tensile strength and tensile modulus of PBCC were achieved at a CC unit content of 85 mol%, reaching 47.33 MPa and 470.7 MPa, respectively. The barrier properties of PBCC are superior to those of commercial biodegradable poly(butylene adipate-co-terephthalate) (PBAT), with barrier capabilities being 6.2–29.9 times, 1.6–4.3 times, and 1.1–2.8 times those of PBAT for CO 2 , O 2 , and water vapor respectively. In addition, PBCCs retained the biodegradability, and their biodegradation could be accelerated by the catalytic activity of CALB enzyme. Overall, PBCC has great potential as an environmentally friendly biodegradable packaging material.