Solubility Parameters of Biodegradable Polymers from Turbidimetric Titrations

Biodegradable plastics have received great attention in polymer industries from the ecological view point. A number of plastics with biodegradability properties have been developed over the recent decades. In this study, several types of biodegradable plastics were selected: poly (butylene succinate) homopolymer (PBS), poly (butylene succinate-co-butylene adipate) copolymer (PBSA), poly (3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) (PHB/V), poly (lactide) (PLA) and poly (ε-caprolactone) (PCL). Solubility parameters, which are key parameters for polymer blends, of PBS, PBSA, PHB/V, PLA and PCL, were evaluated by means of turbidimetric titrations. These solubility parameters were approximately, identical to one another; the values were around 20 (J/cm3) 0.5.