A significant problem associated with the use of polyhydroxybutyrate and its copolymers in food packaging is their high initial crystallinity coupled with an ability to undergo secondary crystallisation over time which results in progressive embrittlement. This paper details work undertaken to hinder the secondary crystallisation process through the blending of poly(hydroxybutyrate-co-hydroxyvalerate) (PHB-co-HV) with mono-, di- and tri-saccharides. Following blending, the melt viscosity and melting point were observed to decrease with increasing saccharide concentration. The incorporation of saccharides into PHB-co-HV did not completely prevent the secondary crystallisation process, however, the rate of change in the Young's modulus and ultimate tensile stress were significantly reduced. The percentage change in the mechanical properties of these blends was found to be directly related to the size of the saccharide which was deemed to be as a result of greater steric hindrance and an increasing number of hydroxyl groups available for interaction with PHB-co-HV. This, along with the reduction in melt viscosity and melting point, makes the addition of mono, di and tri saccharides worthwhile for improving the processability and prolonging the effective life time of products made from PHB-co-HV.

与聚羟基丁酸酯及其共聚物在食品包装中的使用相关的重要问题是它们的高初始结晶度以及随着时间的流逝经历二次结晶的能力，这导致逐渐的脆化。本文详细介绍了通过将聚（羟基丁酸酯-共-羟基戊酸酯）（PHB-共-HV）与单糖，二糖和三糖共混来阻碍二次结晶过程的工作。混合后，观察到熔体粘度和熔点随糖浓度的增加而降低。将糖类掺入PHB- co中-HV不能完全阻止二次结晶过程，但是，杨氏模量和极限拉伸应力的变化速率显着降低。发现这些共混物的机械性能的百分比变化与糖的大小直接相关，这被认为是更大的空间位阻和可用于与PHB- co- HV相互作用的羟基数量增加的结果。这以及熔融粘度和熔点的降低使得添加单糖，二糖和三糖值得用于改善可加工性并延长由PHB- co- HV制成的产品的有效寿命。