Influence of modifying additives on the structure and properties of biodegradable mixtures based on poly-3-hydroxybutyrate and nitrile butadiene rubber

Objectives. To investigate polymer composite materials based on poly-3-hydroxybutyrate (PHB) of microbiological origin and the synthetic nitrile butadiene rubber NBR-28. The biodegradability of PHB implies the possibility of its use for invasive medical purposes; however, this is significantly limited by its brittleness. The aim of this work was to search for approaches to altering the molecular structure of PHB-based composites, in order to impart them with sufficient physical and mechanical characteristics and increase their compatibility without violating biodegradability.
Methods. Reaction mixtures contained the elastic material NBR-28, various modifiers (sorbitan oleate, epoxidized soybean oil, siloxane rubber), and additional polymer components (ethylene–vinyl acetate copolymer and polybutylene adipate terephthalate). The mixtures were prepared in a PL 2200-3 plasticorder (Brabender, Russia) by pressing, holding the material at 180°C under pressure for 3 min followed by quenching in cold water. The surfaces of the films and plates of the mixtures were studied using an Axio Imager Z2m optical microscope (Carl Zeiss, Germany) with the Axio Vision software at 50× and 200× magnification in reflected light. The mechanical properties of materials under tension were measured using an Instron 3365 universal tensile testing machine (Instron, United Kingdom).
Results. The role of modifiers and polymer additives in the PHB–NBR-28 composites and their influence on the morphology of mixtures, crystallinity, and mechanical characteristics were established. The introduction of modifiers made it possible to reduce the average particle size of the NBR-28 phase in the PHB matrix by 30–50%, additionally changing their morphology. In this case, the uniformity of particle distribution increased, having a positive effect on the mechanical characteristics of the systems.
Conclusions. It was shown that the modifiers change the morphology of mixtures, reduce the average particle size of the NBR phase by 30–50%, and positively affect the strength of the systems. Owing to changes in the structure of their interfacial layers and, as a consequence, physical and mechanical characteristics, the resulting composites render suitable for use in reparative bone and dental surgery, as well as for creating wound healing materials.

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