Study on the Properties of Poly(N-vinyl carbazole)/Poly(butylene succinate) Reflective Composites and their Effect on the Growth Indices of Pepper

To address the growing demand for biodegradable materials with superior reflective properties across various applications, poly(vinyl carbazole) (PVK), synthesized via radical polymerization, was melt-blended with biodegradable poly(butylene succinate) (PBS). The properties of the resulting composites were comprehensively investigated. The findings indicate that PVK and PBS interact through intermolecular forces. The incorporation of PVK did not affect the crystalline structure of PBS. However, the thermal decomposition temperature of the composite increased, and its thermodynamic properties were enhanced, despite a decrease in crystallinity. Notably, the introduction of PVK significantly improved the reflective performance of the composite. When the addition of PVK reached 5%, the water contact angle of the composite measured 100°, while the water vapor transmission rate was recorded at 14.72 [g·(m²·d)⁻¹]. The degradation rate over a period of six months was found to be 40.09%, and the reflectance was determined to be 92.91%. At this concentration, the effects of pepper color, fruit length, capsaicin content, capsanthin levels, peroxidase activity, and malonaldehyde content were also observed to be most significant. This indicates its potential as an environmentally friendly material for agricultural reflective films.