A Novel Approach for the Preparation of Poly(Butylene Succinate) Microparticles

Studies regarding sustainability are growing, making the production of bio-based polymer products, such as poly(butylene succinate) (PBS), a promising new alternative for sustainable development and manufacture of eco-efficient products. In this context, the main objective of the present study is the production of PBS microbeads through a water-free suspension polycondensation processes. The obtained results indicate that it is possible to produce PBS microbeads through polycondensation in heterogeneous media, overcoming the natural mass transfer limitations related to the removal of the condensation byproduct (water) from suspended particles, and simultaneously allowing for production of condensation polymer particles in the micrometric region. Besides, the proposed process route promoted shorter reaction times than conventional polycondensations and production of PBS microparticles with controlled sizes and molar mass distributions. The produced particles presented average sizes ranging from 80 to 180 mu m, with melting points ranging from 105 to 112 degrees C and average molar masses around 1.3 x 10(4) Da.