Fiber and film developments from immiscible blends of cellulose acetate propionate and poly(butylene terephthalate)

Binary blends of cellulose acetate propionate (CAP) and poly(butylene terephthalate) (PBT) in the composition range of 5-15 wt % for CAP were prepared in the form of films and fibers by compression molding and spinning, respectively. The presence of two invariant glass-transition temperatures corresponding to the CAP and PBT components and viscosities lower than those of the neat PBT of the CAP-PBT blends implied that the CAP-PBT blends were immiscible. Moreover, the crystallinity of the PBT component was higher in the spun fibers than in the films; this was possibly due to the different cooling methods or the chain orientation in the spinning process. In the meantime, the CAP component could not undergo crystallization because of its rigid structure and alkyl substituents. For the CAP-PBT films, the amorphous CAP was present as dispersed particles in the PBT matrix; but it became rods in the spun fibers. In addition, the presence of the amorphous CAP resulted in a decrease in the tensile strength and an increase in the elongation at break for the CAP-PBT fibers. The CAP-PBT films and fibers could be applied in a wide range of applications requiring renewable properties. (C) 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.