NOVEL BIODEGRADABLE COPOLYAMIDES BASED ON ADIPIC ACID, ISOPHORONE DIAMINE AND ALPHA-AMINO-ACIDS .3. SYNHESIS, STUDY OF PROPERTIES AND EVALUATION OF THEIR BIODEGRADABILITY FOR FOOD-PACKAGING APPLICATIONS

Novel biodegradable copolyamides were synthesized by melt polycondensa tion. Statistical copolymers were produced by the incorporation of alp ha-amino acids showing a gradual increase in their T(g) but a decrease in their tensile strength followed by higher susceptibility to alkali hydrolysis which was confirmed with GPC measurements. The amorphous n ature of these novel copolyamides was confirmed with the aid of wide-a ngle X-ray diffraction patterns and differential thermal analysis. FT- IR spectra of the copolymers confirmed the existence of the amino acid moiety. These novel biodegradable copolyamides are expected to find a pplication either on their own in the fields of food packaging and agr iculture (disposable plastics) or as a part of composites, as sutures for fixation of macroscopic implants.