Mechanical Properties, Biodegradation and Water Vapor Permeability of Blend Films of Soy Protein Isolate and Poly (vinyl alcohol) Compatibilized by Glycerol

Summary Novel blend films of soy protein isolate (SPI) and poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) compatibilized by glycerol were fabricated by preparing a solution, and then casting it on a Teflon-coated metal sheet. Mechanical, biodegradation and water vapor permeability of the blend properties were systematically investigated with various methods. SEM analysis results release that the SPI/PVA/glycerol film degrades at a slower rate than pure SPI. The mechanical test showed that the stress at yield point, stress at break point and Young’s modulus were decreased and percentage elongation at yield point and percentage elongation at break point and of SPI/PVA were increased obviously than pure SPI films. The blend plastics were softened and became semi-rigid contributing to the plasticization of glycerol and the crystalline partion of PVA was destroyed by glycerol. Water vapor permeability of SPI/PVA/glycerol showed the minimum at the component of SPI/PVA (100/35) compatibilized by 3.5% of glycerol.     

Heat‐sealing properties of soy protein isolate/poly(vinyl alcohol) blend films: Effect of the heat‐sealing temperature

To promote the heat‐sealing properties of soy protein isolate (SPI) films applied in the packaging field, we mixed a synthetic polymer of poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) with SPI to fabricate blend films by a solution‐casting method in this study. To clarify the relationship between the heat‐sealing properties and the heat‐sealing temperature, strength, melting process, crystalline structure, and microstructure, variations of the heat‐sealing parts of the films were evaluated by means of differential scanning calorimetry, tensile testing, scanning electron microscopy, X‐ray diffraction, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, respectively. The test results showed that both the PVA and glycerol contents greatly affected the melting behavior and heat of fusion of the SPI/PVA blends; these blend films had a higher melting temperature than the pure SPI films. The peel strength and tensile strength tests indicated that the long molecular chain of PVA had a main function of enhancing the mechanical properties above the melting temperature. With increasing heat‐sealing temperature, all of the mechanical properties were affected by the microstructure of the interface between the laminated films including the chain entanglement, crystallization, and recrystallization. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2010     

Preparation and characterization of poly(vinyl alcohol) and 1,2,3‐propanetriol diglycidyl ether incorporated soy protein isolate‐based films

Novel biodegradable films were prepared from soy protein isolate (SPI), poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA), glycerol, and 1,2,3‐propanetriol diglycidyl ether (PTGE). The mechanical, hydrophilic, and compatible properties of the films were investigated. The influence of PTGE as a crosslinker on the properties of the SPI/PVA/PTGE films was examined with Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X‐ray diffraction (XRD), thermogravimetric analysis, mechanical analysis, contact angle measurements, and scanning electron microscopy. XRD and contact angle examination confirmed that the addition of PTGE altered the film microstructure to a crystalline one. The mechanical properties and water resistance of the SPI/PVA/PTGE films increased notably compared with those of the unmodified SPI films. All results indicate that the networks were formed between SPI and PTGE and played an important role in forming a homogeneous structure in the obtained films. The novel biodegradable films provide a convenient and promising way for preparing environmentally friendly film materials. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2015 , 132, 42578.     

Heat‐sealing properties of soy protein isolate/polyvinyl alcohol film made compatible by glycerol

Heat‐sealing properties are necessary for packaging materials. Soy protein isolate/polyvinyl alcohol (SPI/PVA) blend film is a biodegradable potential packaging material. We analyzed the effects of PVA content (0–20%), glycerol content (1–3%), and sealing temperature (180–230°C) on the heat‐sealing properties of SPI/PVA blend film. Results showed that SPI/PVA film obtained the desired sealing properties when the PVA content exceeded 15%. The sealing strength increased with the PVA content, reaching a maximum upon blending with 20% PVA and 1% glycerol at 220°C. The temperature at sealing strength was approximately twice that at 180°C. However, glycerol migrated to the surface and hindered the entanglement of macromolecular chains in the sealing interface, thereby resulting in reduction of seal strength. Glycerol vaporization at 204°C led to aesthetically unacceptable blistering in the sealing area. Therefore, the optimum sealing temperature of the blended film was ～200°C. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2014 , 131, 40308.     

Preparation and characterization of LDPE/PVA blend films filled with glycerin‐plasticized polyvinyl alcohol

A series of LDPE/PVA blend films were prepared via a twin‐screw extruder, and their morphology, thermal property, oxygen and water vapor permeation, surface properties, and mechanical properties were investigated as a function of the PVA content. During the extrusion process of the blend films, glycerin improved the compatibility and processing conditions between LDPE and PVA. The melting temperature (T_m), melting enthalpy (ΔH_m), crystallinity (%), and thermal stability of the thermal decomposition temperature (T_5%) of the LDPE/PVA blend films decreased with increasing PVA content. The oxygen permeabilities of the blend films decreased from 24.0 to 11.4 cm³·cm (m²·day·atm)^?1 at 23°C. The WVTR increased from 7.8 to 15.0 g(m² day)^?1 and the water uptake increased from 0.13 to 9.31%, respectively. The mechanical properties of blend films were slightly enhanced up to 2% PVA and then decreased. The physical properties of the blend films strongly varied with the chemical structure and morphology depending on the PVA and glycerin. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2015 , 132, 41985.     

Miscibility and phase structure of binary blends of poly(L‐lactide) and poly(vinyl alcohol)

Blend films of poly(L ‐lactide) (PLLA) and poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) were obtained by evaporation of hexafluoroisopropanol solutions of both components. The component interaction, crystallization behavior, and miscibility of these blends were studied by solid‐state NMR and other conventional methods, such as Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectra, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and wide‐angle X‐ray diffraction (WAXD). The existence of two series of isolated and constant glass‐transition temperatures (T_g's) independent of the blend composition indicates that PLLA and PVA are immiscible in the amorphous region. However, the DSC data still demonstrates that some degree of compatibility related to blend composition exists in both PLLA/atactic‐PVA (a‐PVA) and PLLA/syndiotactic‐PVA (s‐PVA) blend systems. Furthermore, the formation of interpolymer hydrogen bonding in the amorphous region, which is regarded as the driving force leading to some degree of component compatibility in these immiscible systems, is confirmed by FTIR and further analyzed by ¹³C solid‐state NMR analyses, especially for the blends with low PLLA contents. Although the crystallization kinetics of one component (especially PVA) were affected by another component, WAXD measurement shows that these blends still possess two isolated crystalline PLLA and PVA phases other than the so‐called cocrystalline phase. ¹³C solid‐state NMR analysis excludes the interpolymer hydrogen bonding in the crystalline region. The mechanical properties (tensile strength and elongation at break) of blend films are consistent with the immiscible but somewhat compatible nature of these blends. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 81: 762–772, 2001     

The Effect of glycerol on the crystalline,thermal, and tensile properties of CaCl2‐doped starch/PVA films

Starch/poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) films with the addition of 10 wt% CaCl₂ and various content of glycerol were prepared. The effect of glycerol on the crystalline, thermal, and tensile properties of CaCl₂‐doped starch/PVA films was studied by X‐ray diffraction, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and tensile testing, respectively. The effect of glycerol on the miscibility of CaCl₂‐doped starch/PVA films was studied by scanning electron microscopy. The CaCl₂‐doped starch/PVA film became more homogeneous after the addition of glycerol. The addition of glycerol would increase the crystallinity of CaCl₂‐doped starch/PVA film. With the addition of 10 wt% glycerol and 10 wt% CaCl₂, the starch/PVA film showed the highest degree of crystallinity. The TGA results show that the thermal stability of CaCl₂‐doped starch/PVA film increased after the addition of glycerol. The toughness of CaCl₂‐doped starch/PVA films was enhanced with the addition of glycerol. The starch/PVA film with the addition of 10 wt% CaCl₂ and 20 wt% glycerol showed the tensile strength of 17 MPa and the elongation at break of 428%. Moreover, the water sorption of CaCl₂‐doped starch/PVA film decreased after the addition of glycerol at the low and intermediate relative humidity of 33 and 54%. POLYM. COMPOS., 37:3191–3199, 2016. © 2015 Society of Plastics Engineers     

Preparation and characterization of soy protein isolate–carboxymethylated konjac glucomannan blend films

To improve the mechanical and water vapor barrier properties of soy protein films, the transparent films were prepared by blending 5 wt % soy protein isolate (SPI) alkaline water solution with 2 wt % carboxymethylated konjac glucomannan (CMKGM) aqueous solution and drying at 30 °C. The structure and properties of the blend films were studied by infrared spectroscopy, wide‐angle X‐ray diffraction spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, differential thermal analysis, and measurements of mechanical properties and water vapor transmission. The results demonstrated a strong interaction and good miscibility between SPI and CMKGM due to intermolecular hydrogen bonding. The thermostability and mechanical and water vapor barrier properties of blend films were greatly enhanced due to the strong intermolecular hydrogen bonding between SPI and CMKGM. The tensile strength and breaking elongation of blend films increased with the increase of CMKGM content: the maximum values achieved were 54.6 MPa and 37%, respectively, when the CMKGM content was 70 wt %. The water vapor transmission of blend films decreased with the increase of CMKGM content: the lowest value achieved was 74.8 mg · cm^?2 · d^?1 when the CMKGM content was 70 wt %. The SPI–CMKGM blend films provide promising applications to fresh food packaging. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 88: 1095–1099, 2003     

Thermal,mechanical, and surface characterization of starch–poly(vinyl alcohol) blends and borax‐crosslinked films

Starch–poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) blends with different compositions were prepared and crosslinked with borax by in situ and posttreatment methods. Various amounts of glycerol and poly(ethylene glycol) with a molecular weight of 400 were added to the formulations as plasticizers. The pure starch–PVA blends and the crosslinked blends were subjected to differential scanning calorimetry, thermogravimetry, and X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopic studies. Broido and Coats–Redfern equations were used to calculate the thermal decomposition kinetic parameters. The tensile strengths and elongation percentages of the films were also evaluated. The results suggested that the glass‐transition temperature (T_g) and the melting temperature strongly depended on the plasticizer concentration. The enthalpy relaxation phenomenon was dependent on the starch content in the pure blend. The crosslinked films showed higher stability and lower T_g's than pure PVA and starch–PVA blends, respectively. High‐resolution X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy provided a method of differentiating the presence of various carbons associated with different environments in the films. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 96: 1313–1322, 2005     

Effects of nano‐tio2 on the performance of high‐amylose starch based antibacterial films

The purpose of this article is to investigate the effects of nano‐tianium dioxide (nano‐TiO₂) on the high‐amylose starch/polyvingl alcohol (PVA) blend films prepared by a solution casting method. The results show that at the concentration of 0.6% of nano‐TiO₂, the film demonstrated the best tensile strength at 9.53 MPa, and the elongation at break was noted as 49.50%. The optical transmittance of the film was decreased and the water resistance was improved with further increase of the concentration of nano‐TiO₂. Using the techniques of Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and field‐emission scanning electron microscopy (SEM), the molecular and the crystal structures of the films were characterized. The results indicate that the miscibility and compatibility between high‐amylose starch and PVA were increased with the addition of nano‐TiO₂ into the films due to the formation of hydrogen and C? O? Ti bonds. The antimicrobial activities of the blend films were also explored. The results show that there were inhibitory zones around the circular film disc, which is attributable to the addition of nano‐TiO₂. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2015 , 132, 42339.     

Structure and mechanical properties of soy protein materials plasticized by Thiodiglycol

Thiodiglycol (TDG) is a relatively nontoxic compound from organic wastes. By using TDG as a plasticizer with weights from 2.5 to 40%, we prepared soy protein isolate (SPI) films by a compression‐molding technique at 140°C and 15 MPa. The TDG‐plasticized films (SPI–TDG films) were characterized by scanning electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, dynamic mechanical thermal analysis, thermogravimetric analysis, optical transmittance, and water uptake experiments. The SPI–TDG film plasticized with 25% TDG exhibited good mechanical properties, such as a tensile strength and modulus of 20.3 and 582 MPa, respectively, whereas the SPI–glycerol film with 25% glycerol had a tensile strength and modulus of 16.2 and 436 MPa, respectively. The results from the thermogravimetric analysis and water uptake experiments indicated that the thermal stability and water resistance of the TDG‐plasticized SPI materials were higher than that of the glycerol‐plasticized one. The improvements in the mechanical properties, water resistance, and thermal stability of the SPI–TDG films could be attributed to the strong intermolecular hydrogen bonding between soy protein and TDG and the presence of fewer hydroxyl groups in TDG, as compared structurally with glycerol. This study provided a new plasticizer for the preparation of soy protein materials. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2009     

Blends of aliphatic polyesters. IV. Morphology,swelling behavior,and surface and bulk properties of blends from hydrophobic poly(L-lactide) and hydrophilic poly(vinyl alcohol)

Blend films were prepared from hydrophobic poly(L -lactide) (PLLA) and hydrophilic poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) with different PLLA contents [X_PLLA (w/w) = PLLA/(PVA + PLLA)] by solution casting and melt quenching. Their morphology, swelling behavior, and surface and bulk properties were investigated. Polarizing optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, differential scanning calorimetry, X-ray diffractometry, and tensile testing revealed that PLLA and PVA were phase separated in these blend films and the PLLA-rich and PVA-rich phases both formed a continuous domain in the blend film of X_PLLA = 0.5. The water absorption of the blend films was higher for the blend films of low X_PLLA values when compared at the same immersion time, and it was larger than expected from those of nonblended PLLA and PVA films. The dynamic contact angles of the blend films were linearly increased with an increase in X_PLLA. The tensile strength and Young's modulus of the dry blend films decreased with a rise in X_PLLA, but this dependence was reversed because of the large decreases in tensile strength and Young's modulus for the blend films having high X_PLLA values after immersion in water. The elongation at break was higher for the wet blend film than for the dry blend film when compared at the same X_PLLA and that of the dry and wet blend films decreased with an increase in X_PLLA. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 81: 2151–2160, 2001     

Properties of chitosan/soy protein blended films with added plasticizing agent as a function of solvent type at acidic pH

Pure and blend films from chitosan (CH) and soy protein isolate (SPI) were produced in varying compositions (CH/SPI 75/25, 50/50, 25/75 w/w) based on the solvent type (acetic and formic acids). Glycerol was used as a plasticizer. The interactions between the two biopolymers was confirmed by FTIR and TGA, indicating miscibility and compatibility. Increasing the amount of soy protein decreased the tensile strength and absorptive properties, but improved the ability of the film to withstand thermal degradation. Blend films cast using acetic acid gave higher hydrophobicity, better internal blend miscibility, and better tensile properties than blend films cast from formic acid.     

Structure and properties of soy protein films plasticized with hydroxyamine

Two kinds of transparent films of soy protein were successfully prepared by plasticizing with diethanolamine (DEA) and triethanolamin (TEA). The films were hot pressed at 140°C and 20 MPa, and characterized with Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscope, ultraviolet–visible spectrometer, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), thermogravimetric analysis, and tensile testing. The results indicated that films with triethanolamine plasticizers possessed better optical transmittance (more than 80% at 800 nm) than those with diethanolamine and glycerol. All of the sheets exhibited only one T_g in DSC curves. Moreover, the soy protein plastics with TEA had higher thermal stability and mechanical properties, as well as lower water uptake than those with DEA and glycerol, as a result of the strong interaction between TEA and protein molecules. The soy protein materials will be promising for the application in the fields of package and container, substituting for the nongreen polymers. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2009     

Effects of co‐plasticization of acetyl tributyl citrate and glycerol on the properties of starch/PVA films

Starch/polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) nanocomposite films by film blowing process were successfully obtained. Starch (1700 g), PVA (300 g), and organically modified montmorillonite (OMMT, 200 g) were blended and plasticized with acetyl tributyl citrate (ATBC) and glycerol (GLY) at weight ratios of 0/100, 5/95, 10/90, 15/85, 20/80, and 25/75. The structural, morphology, barrier, mechanical, and thermal properties of the films, as well as molecular interactions in the nanocomposites were analyzed. The 3.98 nm d‐spacing was the highest in starch/PVA nanocomposite films plasticized with ATBC/GLY ratio of 10/90. The film with ATBC/GLY (5/95) had the lowest WVP (3.01 × 10^?10 g m^?1 s^?1 Pa^?1). The longitudinal tensile strength (TS) of starch/PVA nanocomposite films gradually increased from 4.46 to 6.81 MPa with the increase of ATBC/GLY ratios. The T_g steadily increased from 49.2°C to 55.2°C and the ΔH of the nanocomposite films decreased from 81.77 to 51.43 J/g at the presence of ATBC. The addition of ATBC into GLY plasticized starch/PVA/OMMT system enhanced the intermolecular interaction in the nanocomposites. This study proved that ATBC was an excellent compatibilizer in the preparation of starch/PVA/OMMT nanocomposite films. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2015 , 132, 42544.     

Fumed SiO2 nanoparticle reinforced biopolymer blend nanocomposites with high dielectric constant and low dielectric loss for flexible organic electronics

In the present study, fumed silica (SiO₂) nanoparticle reinforced poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) and poly(vinylpyrrolidone) (PVP) blend nanocomposite films were prepared via a simple solution‐blending technique. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), ultraviolet–visible spectroscopy (UV–vis), X‐ray diffraction (XRD), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) were employed to elucidate the successful incorporation of SiO₂ nanoparticles in the PVA/PVP blend matrix. A thermogravimetric analyzer was used to evaluate the thermal stability of the nanocomposites. The dielectric properties such as dielectric constant (?) and dielectric loss (tan δ) of the PVA/PVP/SiO₂ nanocomposite films were evaluated in the broadband frequency range of 10^?2 Hz to 20 MHz and for temperatures in the range 40–150 °C. The FTIR and UV–vis spectroscopy results implied the presence of hydrogen bonding interaction between SiO₂ and the PVA/PVP blend matrix. The XRD and SEM results revealed that SiO₂ nanoparticles were uniformly dispersed in the PVA/PVP blend matrix. The dielectric property analysis revealed that the dielectric constant values of the nanocomposites are higher than those of PVA/PVP blends. The maximum dielectric constant and the dielectric loss were 125 (10^?2 Hz, 150 °C) and 1.1 (10^?2 Hz, 70 °C), respectively, for PVA/PVP/SiO₂ nanocomposites with 25 wt % SiO₂ content. These results enable the preparation of dielectric nanocomposites using a facile solution‐casting method that exhibit the desirable dielectric performance for flexible organic electronics. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2017 , 134 , 44427.     

Protein/glycerol blends and injection‐molded bioplastic matrices: Soybean versus egg albumen

Two well‐known proteins have been selected in order to produce bioplastics through injection molding: a soy protein isolate (SPI) and an egg white albumen concentrate (EW). Each of them has been thoroughly mixed with glycerol (40 wt %) and the blend then obtained have been characterized by means of rheological and thermomechanical techniques, which allowed the optimization of the processing moulding conditions (cylinder temperature, 60°C–65°C; mould temperature, 120°C; post‐injection pressure, 500–600 bars). Once bioplastics were obtained, their thermomechanical and tensile properties, as well as their water uptake capacity and transparency were evaluated. Bioplastics containing EW showed higher values in the elastic and loss moduli, E′ and E″, from ?30°C to 130°C, than the corresponding SPI bioplastic. However, they both showed qualitatively the same evolution with temperature, where E′ and E″ decreased up to a plateau at high temperatures. When examining their tensile and water uptake properties is found that SPI bioplastics are more ductile and present enhanced water uptake behavior over EW bioplastics, which on the other hand possess higher Young's modulus. SPI seems to provide tougher bioplastics, being an excellent option for potential superabsorbent applications, whereas EW would suit for those applications requiring higher mechanical properties. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2016 , 133, 42980.     

Role of Star‐Like Hydroxylpropyl Lignin in Soy‐Protein Plastics

Summary: Star‐like hydroxypropyl lignin (HL) was compounded into soy protein isolated (SPI) to develop a potential biodegradable plastic with better mechanical performance than pure sheet‐SPI. The structure and properties of the composite materials were characterized by WAXD, DSC, SEM, TEM and tensile tests. The addition of just 2 wt.‐% HL resulted in tensile strength (σ_b) of 16.8 MPa, 2.3 times that of pure sheet‐SPI, with no accompanying decrease in elongation at break as a result of strong interaction and with good miscibility among components. As the HL content increased, the HL molecules could self‐aggregate as oblate supramolecular domains, while the stronger interactions between HL and glycerol resulted in the detaching of glycerol from the SPI matrix. It can be concluded that the insertion of HL as single molecules into the SPI matrix would provide materials with optimum mechanical properties. Compared with other lignin/SPI composites, the stretching chains on HL play a key role in the improvement of mechanical properties because of a stronger adhesion of HL onto the SPI matrix as well as the interpenetration of SPI into supramolecular HL domains.

Schematic illustration of the supramolecular domain created by the aggregation of hydroxypropyl lignin, which can interpenetrate with soy protein isolate.     

Thermal and mechanical properties of poly(vinyl alcohol) plasticized with glycerol

Thermomechanical behavior of membranes based on blends of poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) with different weight percentage (wt %) of glycerol has been studied. Solid‐state PVA/Glycerol polymer membranes were prepared by a solution casting method. The films were studied for thermal characteristics by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and thermogravimetric analysis and for the mechanical properties including hardness and modulus by nanoindentation method. The dispersion of glycerol within the polymer matrix was examined using scanning electron microscopy. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy was used to confirm the formation of hydrogen bonding between the plasticizer and PVA in their blends and also to provide information on compatibility and physical interactions between the glycerol and PVA. It was found that the thermal properties particularly the melting point (T_m) for PVA blends exhibit a reduced value proportional to the glycerol content. The hardness and elastic modulus were also found to decrease with an increase in plasticizer content. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2011     

Super‐tough biodegradable poly(vinyl alcohol)/poly(vinyl pyrrolidone) blends plasticized by glycerol and sorbitol

Tough biodegradable films were prepared using a poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA)/poly(vinyl pyrrolidone) (PVP) (1:1) blend with plasticizers of glycerol (GLY), sorbitol (SOR), and their (one to one) mixture. We studied the effect of plasticization on the structural, thermal, and mechanical properties of the PVA/PVP blend films. Fourier transform infrared spectra indicated good miscibility of the two components due to the H‐bonding between the PVA and PVP molecules. The addition of plasticizers reduced the interaction between PVA and PVP, evidenced by an increase in the intensity of PVA diffraction peaks observed in the X‐ray diffraction (XRD) characterization. Thermal degradation of the blends increased as a function of the plasticizer used. GLY affected thermal degradation more than SOR and the mixtures. The incorporation of the plasticizers promoted the growth of PVA crystals as evidenced by XRD patterns and the enthalpy of fusion (ΔH_f) obtained by differential scanning calorimetry measurements. The introduction of SOR to the binary blend increased toughness seven times and imparted simultaneous and pronounced improvements to maximum tensile stress and elongation at break. This behavior holds out great promise for the development of a new generation of mechanically robust, yet thoroughly biodegradable materials that could effectively supplant conventional polymers in demanding applications. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2018 , 135, 46406.