Abstract
Blending of microbial polyester poly(3βhydroxybutyrate) (PHB) with various dendritic polyester oligomers or dendrimers was achieved by solution casting to improve the film forming ability of PHB. Films of the blends were characterized by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), scanning electron micrograph (SEM), and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). It was revealed that there were mainly two types of interactions in the blending system: the plasticizing or lubricating effect of the low melting spherical dendrimers molecules improved the polymer chain mobility through the suppression of PHB crystallization in the blends; The dendrimers also functioned as crosslinking agents or antiplasticizing agents via weak hydrogen bonding to enhance the overall intermolecular interactions which decrease the chain mobility and thus cause the increase of glass transition temperature (T~g~) of PHB. TGA results concluded that incorporating the dendrimers could retard the thermal decomposition of PHB and enhanced its thermal stability accordingly. With the above blend processes, the soβobtained PHB possessed better film forming ability and even patterned surface structures. Β© 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 102:3782β3790, 2006