Amorphous/Crystal and Polymer/Filler Interphases in Biocomposites from Poly(butylene succinate)

Poly(butylene succinate)-hemp composites (PBS-hemp), with hemp content in the range 0-40 wt.%, were prepared in the melt and characterized. This paper focuses on the detailed analysis of the thermal behaviour of the PBS-hemp composites, investigated by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), to enlighten the polymer/fibre interphase features. The occurrence of specific intermolecular interactions between PBS and hemp was assessed from specific heat capacity data. Different degrees of mobility of the PBS amorphous segments were found at the amorphous/crystal interphases. A broadening of the bulk glass transition was observed, and attributed to the presence of polymer segments slightly constrained. Moreover, a rigid amorphous fraction that devitrifies at temperatures higher than the bulk glass transition, partly before the melting region and partly simultaneously with the fusion, was observed and quantified, and attributed to the presence of major constraints probably occurring in geometrically restricted areas.