Miscibility, crystallization kinetics, and morphology of poly(?-hydroxybutyrate) and poly(methyl acrylate) blends

The miscibility, spherulite growth kinetics, and morphology of binary blends of poly(β-hydroxybutyrate) (PHB) and poly(methyl acrylate) (PMA) were studied with differential scanning calorimetry, optical microscopy, and small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS). As the PMA content increases in the blends, the glass-transition temperature and cold-crystallization temperature increase, but the melting point decreases. The interaction parameter between PHB and PMA, obtained from an analysis of the equilibrium-melting-point depression, is −0.074. The presence of an amorphous PMA component results in a reduction in the rate of spherulite growth of PHB. The radial growth rates of spherulites were analyzed with the Lauritzen–Hoffman model. The spherulites of PHB were volume-filled, indicating the inclusion of PMA within the spherulites. The long period obtained from SAXS increases with increased PMA content, implying that the amorphous PMA is entrapped in the interlamellar region of PHB during the crystallization process of PHB. All the results presented show that PHB and PMA are miscible in the melt. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci B: Polym Phys 38: 1860–1867, 2000