Processing and Characterizations of Nanofiller-Modulated poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) Composites

Poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate)-based composites were prepared using nano-sized reinforcement fillers including carbon nanotubes, boron nitride particles, and aluminum borate whiskers. The nanofillers were first treated with polyaniline via in situ polymerization, then mixed with poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) solutions. Thermal analyses reveal that the additions of nanofillers in poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) have increased the decomposition temperatures and thus improved the degradation resistance of the resins at elevated temperatures. Among the three types of fillers, the aluminum borate whiskers show the most significant increase, from 294.0 to 305.8 degrees C. With a small amount of nanofillers, the mechanical performance of the poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) polymer has been significantly improved.