Renewable and flexible UV-blocking film from poly(butylene succinate) and lignin

Abstract Herein, a renewable and flexible UV-shielding biocomposite film was obtained by poly(butylene succinate) (PBS) and lignin. A strategy of reactive interfacial compatibilization was developed in order to improve the miscibility of lignin with PBS. Firstly, lignin was modified by maleic anhydride, and then the reactive plasticizer triethy citrate (TEC) was employed as a bridge to reinforce the interaction of lignin with PBS. The elongation at break and the Young’s modulus of the films were evaluated at a maximum of 208% and 129 MPa respectively at the lignin content of 20% and TEC content of 5%, indicating the excellent enhanced flexibility. The miscibility of the lignin was rationalized through the analysis of SEM, DSC, and FT-IR. Exceptionally, the films could block against 100% UV light and degrade absolutely in different compositions. Conclusively, the strategy opens up novel approaches to expand the accessibility of lignin to renewable bioplastics.