Thermal stability of polyhydroxyalkanoates

In this study, we examined the thermal de-composition of polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) such as the homopolymer poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) and the copolymer poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate). They are biodegradable polymers that can replace plastics produced from nonrenewable resources, such as polypropylene. The biopolymers we analyzed were commercial PHAs [obtained by means of pure cultures, with hydroxyvalerate (HV) contents of 0 and 10.4 mol %] and biopolymers produced in our laboratories (by means of an enriched activated sludge at two different organic loads, 8.5 and 20 gCOD/L, with a HV content of 20 mol %). To process these biopolymers, it is important to know their thermal stability. For this reason, thermal degradation in air by means of dynamic thermogravimetry (TG) was carried out. The TG data were adjusted to the nth-order general analytical equation to evaluate the best order of the reaction, the temperatures of the onset and end of thermal decomposition, and the kinetic parameters. The latter were also calculated by means of other integral and differential methods and compared to those obtained by the general analytical solution. Finally, the influence of the preparation method (pure and mixed cultures and HV content within the biopolymer) on thermal stability was analyzed