Commercial Grade of P(3HB-co-3HHX) Final Properties Adjustment by the Modification of Cooling Conditions in the Injection Molding and Ageing Process

[EN] Poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyhexanoate) is a polymer obtained bybacterial fermentation that emerges as an alternative to polymers ofpetrochemical origin. The complex crystallization kinetics that occurs over 15days after melting, known as ageing, limits its industrial application. Duringthe aging process, there is a change of the degree of crystallinity, which has ane¿ect on the chemical structure of the material. Additionally, changes in themechanical properties, colorimetry, and dimensional shrinkage are observed.Di¿erent material properties are observed depending on the coolingconditions employed. For the ageing process, two di¿erent conditions areconsidered: ageing at room temperature and annealing at high temperature(60 °C). This research was a part of the grant PID2020-116496RB-C22, funded by MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033 and the grant TED2021-131762AI00, funded by MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033 and by the European Union NextGenerationEU /PRTR. Authors also thank Generalitat Valenciana-GVA for funding this research through the grant numbers AICO/2021/025 and CIGE/2021/094. This work was also funded with Aid for First Research Projects (PAID-06-22), the Vice-rectorate for Research of the Universitat Politècnica de València (UPV). J. I.-M. wants to thank FPU grant FPU19/01759 grant funded by MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033 and by ESF: Investing in Your Future. J.G.-C. wants to thank FPU20/01732 grant funded by MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033 and by ESF: Investing in Your Future. Ivorra-Martinez, J.; Gómez-Caturla, J.; Peydro, MA.; Sellés, M.; Boronat, T. (2024). Commercial Grade of P(3HB-co-3HHX) Final Properties Adjustment by the Modification of Cooling Conditions in the Injection Molding and Ageing Process. Macromolecular Materials and Engineering. 309(6):1-11. https://doi.org/10.1002/mame.202400033