Biodegradable polymeric blends based on poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) (PHB) and polylactic acid (PLA) were
prepared by melt mixing. Trybutyrin, a bio-based plasticizer, was added at a fixed proportion in all
blends. Crystal structure, percent crystallinity, miscibility, mechanical properties and permeation of fully
biodegradable PHB/PLA blends were investigated in detail by Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC),
Fourier Transformed Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray Diffraction (XRD), Scanning Electron Microscopy
(SEM), tensile tests and water vapor permeation tests. From the thermal test, two glass transition
temperatures were found for the whole range of compositions, which reveals the immiscibility between
PHB and PLA. Moreover, the biphasic melt further confirms this fact. Tensile tests showed an increase in
the elongation at break with the PLA content. SEM images reveal debonding between the interfacial
surfaces, which justifies the increase in the elongation at break. Water vapor permeation values for
blends were slightly higher than that of the plasticized pristine polymer. The plasticized polymer blends
showed valuable properties to extend the applications of PHB and PLA.