MSU Technologies

070021: Poly (1,4-benzodioxepin-3-alkyl-2,5-dione)s: Degradable Polymers with High Glass Transition Temperatures

Description:

Polylactic acid (PLA) is growing rapidly in popularity as an alternative to petroleum-derived plastics. It is biodegradable, thermoplastic, and derived from renewable resources. However, polylactides must be crystalline tor them to be dimensionally stable above 50° C, which is a characteristic that limits its use for some applications. Manipulating the crystallinity of the polymer is a common strategy for rendering polylactides stable. However, a clear, glassy polymer that is dimensionally stable above 100° C would be particularly useful for food packaging and biomedical applications.

Description

This invention provides a homopolymer of a monomer containing a cyclohexyl side chain, and has a glass transition temperature of approximately 120° C. The compound also contains a glycolide, (L)-lactide, or other comonomer. The structural modifications provide polymers that have improved thermal and mechanical properties, and that enable environmentally advantageous, biodegradable, and high performance polymers that have broader usefulness than the unmodified version of the compound.

Benefits

High glass transition temperature: The polymer has a glass transition temperature of approximately 120° C, which enables its use as a biodegradable or green replacement for polystyrene in a wide range of consumer and industrial packaging applications.
Polymer has a therapeutically relevant degradation product: One of the degradation products is similar to aspirin and may be useful in applications for bioresorbable drug delivery systems.

Applications

This invention is useful for providing a biodegradable or green alternative to petroleum-derived polystyrene in a wide range of consumer, industrial and biomedical applications.