1 Citation
Research data for publication funded by the GREEN-MAP project. A new branched polyesterurethane (PUR) based on poly([R,S]-3-hydroxybutyrate) (R,S-PHB) modified with poly([D,L]-lactide) (PLA) and starch was ynthesized and tested for the susceptibility to degradation in anthropological soil. Mass loss of samples and changes in surface morphology (SEM, optical microscope, and contact angle system) with simultaneously only slight changes in molecular weight (GPC), chemical structure (FTIR and 1HNMR) and thermal properties (DSC) indicate that these materials are subject of enzymatic degradation caused by the presence of microorganisms in anthropological soil. Chemical modification of branched polyesterurethanes with R,S-PHB and their physical blending with small amounts of PLA and starch resulted in a slow but progressive degradation of the samples. The study of susceptibility to degradation was carried out by burying the samples in the anthropological soil in conditions simulating the average moisture and temperature in Poland in the months from April to October. This experiment allows to predict the behavior of the investigated polymer samples after their disposal, outside the landfill, in the environment.