Wool powder: an efficient additive to improve mechanical and thermal properties of poly(propylene carbonate)

The synthesis of poly(propylene carbonate) (PPC) consumes carbon dioxide, which forms a promising route to fix greenhouse gas. Developing the applications of PPC could enhance the recycle of carbon dioxide. However, PPC typically has low mechanical strength and thermal stability, and its glass transition temperature (Tg) is low as well, which restrict its use in practice. In this study, we have for the first time found that wool powder (WP) can be an efficient additive to modify PPC. By adding just 2.0wt% wool powder (WP) to PPC, the mechanical properties, glass transition temperature, and thermal decomposition temperature can be improved significantly. PPC containing 2.0wt% WP shows comparable tensile properties to commonly-used polymers such as poly(butylene succinate), polypropylene and high-density polyethylene. We further showed that PPC can form strong interfacial interaction with WP, responsible for the improvement in PPC mechanical properties. Addition of wool powder may offer a promising way to boost the applications of PPC.