The Degradation of Poly (Butylene Succinate)/Natural Rubber Composites
In this study, poly (butylene succinate) (PBS)/nature rubber (NR) composites were prepared, and the effects of NR content on the biodegradability were evaluated by vermiculite-degradation test. X-ray Diffraction, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) were used to characterize the degraded blends. The weight losses of PBS/NR composites are higher than that of pure PBS, and increased with adding NR content. The weight loss of 30% NR content composite after 120 days is 16.84%. The XRD and DSC results show that the crystallinity of PBS/NR composites increase after buried in vermiculite. These results were confirmed using SEM observations by the presence of many large holes and more cracks in the degradation surface morphology of the increasing content of NR. It was observed that PBS/NR composites are green-composites or eco-materials.