Research and Application of Polypropylene Carbonate Composite Materials: A Review

Abstract

The greenhouse effect and plastic pollution caused by the accumulation of plastics have led to a global concern for environmental protection, as well as the development and application of biodegradable materials. Polypropylene carbonate (PPC) is a biodegradable polymer with the function of “carbon sequestration”, which has the potential to mitigate the greenhouse effect and the plastic crisis. It has the advantages of good ductility, oxygen barrier and biocompatibility. However, the mechanical and thermal properties of PPC are poor, especially the low thermal degradation temperature, which limits its industrial use. In order to overcome this problem, PPC can be modified using environmentally friendly materials, which can also reduce the cost of PPC-based products to a certain extent and enhance their competitiveness in terms of improving their mechanical and thermal properties. In this paper, we present different perspectives on the synthesis, properties, degradation, modification and post-modification applications of PPC. The modification part mainly introduces the influence of inorganic materials, natural polymer materials and degradable polymers on the performance of PPC. It is hoped that this work will serve as a reference for the early promotion of PPC.