Crystallization and melting behaviour of PHB and PHB/HV copolymer

Abstract

The crystallization and melting behaviour of bacterially produced poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) homopolymer and poly(3-hydroxybutyrate/3-hydroxyvalerate) copolymer were investigated by means of optical microscopy, wide-angle X-ray scattering and calorimetric measurements. The spherulitic growth rate and X-ray diffraction patterns were measured at various temperatures, in order to understand the temperature dependence of crystallization kinetics and the changes in the degree of crystallinity which take place on heating. Structural reorganization during heating was investigated further by means of differential thermal analysis measurements at various heating rates. © 1992.