Synthesis and characterization of biobased poly(butylene adipate‐co‐furandicarboxylate) with excellent gas barrier properties

Abstract In this work, we prepared a series of bio‐based poly(butylene adipate‐ co ‐furandicarboxylate) (PBAF) copolyesters with BF segments ranging from 20 to 80 mol% through a two‐step polycondensation. Then, their thermal, mechanical, gas barrier, and degradable properties were investigated. With the increase of BF content, the glass transition temperatures ( T g ) and melting temperatures ( T m ) of PBAFs increase constantly. Besides, PBAF copolyesters exhibit excellent mechanical performance with elongation at break in the range of 140% to 870%. The elastic modulus and tensile strength of PBAF60 are 138 and 17 MPa respectively, which are comparable to those of commercial poly(butylene adipate‐ co ‐terephthalate) (PBAT). Moreover, thanks to the structural characteristics of the furan ring, the barrier performances against CO 2 , O 2 , and H 2 O of PBAFs are 4.6–147.5 folds, 4.0–76.0 folds, and 0.8–8.7 folds of PBAT, respectively. Finally, the degradation tests reveal that the weight losses of PBAFs increase with decreasing BF contents. It is worth emphasizing that although the compost degradation rate of PBAF60 is slightly lower than that of PBAT, it is still a prospective alternative to PBAT due to its improved barrier properties. And it provides a possibility for applications in food packaging, mulch films, and structural elements.