Melt Rheology and Single Screw Extrusion of Biobased and Biodegradable Poly(hydroxybutanoic acid copolymers)

The complex time and temperature dependent melt rheology of Poly (Hydroxy Butanoic Acid) or PHB copolymers is an important consideration for their extrusion. In this effort, we report the influence of temperature profile and screw design on the process stability, melt temperature, melt pressure, output rate and molecular weight retention using highly-instrumented commercial-scale extruders with smooth-bore feed sections. One important outcome of this investigation is screw design guidelines for the extrusion of PHB copolymers.