Effect of processing conditions on poly(butylene succinate) foam materials

Polymeric foams have many advantages such as light weight, high specific strength, strong energy absorption, as well as good sound and thermal insulation. Unfortunately, most polymeric foams such as polyvinyl chloride foams do not undergo natural degradation and thus giving rise to white pollution to the environment. Here, we report the preparation and properties of poly (butylene succinate) (PBS) foam which is a biodegradable plastic. Ammonium bicarbonate is used as the foaming agent during the formation of the PBS foam by the molding method, and under the optimal conditions of 5 wt % ammonium bicarbonate, 10 MPa pressure, and 5 min pressing time, the pristine PBS foam with the smallest bulk density can be obtained, whereas under the conditions of 5 wt % ammonium bicarbonate, 7.5 MPa pressure, and 7 min pressing time, the toughening PBS foam has the smallest bulk density. Adding talc as a nucleating agent can reduce the bulk density of the foam and in this case, an NH4HCO3 content of 3 wt % yields the best result. Moreover, addition of plasticizers can effectively improve the mechanical properties of the products. (C) 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2012