Poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) (PHB) is a well-known member of the polyhydroxyalkanoate family of biopolymers, and it has been extensively investigated as an environmentally benign replacement for petrochemical-based polymers. The practical application of PHB in the biomedical field and in packaging has been limited because of its relatively narrow processing window, high brittleness and low thermal stability. In this study, a melt flow extrusion plastometer was used to investigate the processability of PHB by evaluating its melt flow rate and the mechanical properties of its monofilament extrudates. The monofilament extrudates were collected after exposure to different processing temperatures (180 and 190°C) and heating times, as well as after blending the biopolymer with different fractions of ground raw wool. The melt flow rate of PHB was not significantly affected when blended with different amounts of wool fiber. However, the melt flow rate increased significantly with the increase in heat duration and temperature. The mechanical properties of the monofilament extrudates from the parental PHB and PHB/wool blends were influenced by the fraction of wool, temperature and heat duration. The results of this study will be useful in selecting appropriate conditions for producing PHB-based blends/composites with desirable properties for a wide range of applications.

中文翻译：

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聚（3-羟基丁酸酯）/磨毛纤维混纺的挤出塑性加工

聚（3-羟基丁酸酯）（PHB）是生物聚合物聚羟基链烷酸酯家族中的知名成员，作为石化聚合物的环境友好替代品已被广泛研究。 PHB由于其相对较窄的加工窗口、高脆性和低热稳定性，在生物医学领域和包装中的实际应用受到限制。在本研究中，使用熔体流动挤出塑性计通过评估其熔体流动速率和单丝挤出物的机械性能来研究 PHB 的加工性能。经过不同的加工温度（180 和 190°C）和加热时间，以及将生物聚合物与不同部分的磨碎原毛混合后，收集单丝挤出物。与不同量的羊毛纤维混纺时，PHB的熔体流动速率没有受到显着影响。然而，随着加热时间和温度的增加，熔体流动速率显着增加。母体 PHB 和 PHB/羊毛混纺单丝挤出物的机械性能受到羊毛含量、温度和加热持续时间的影响。这项研究的结果将有助于选择适当的条件来生产具有广泛应用所需性能的 PHB 基共混物/复合材料。