Poly(N-vinylpyrrolidone)(PVP) groups were grafted onto a poly(3-hydroxybutyrateco-3-hydroxyvalerate)(PHBV) backbone in order to modify its properties and synthesize a novel biocompatible copolymer. The crystallization behavior of PHBV and grafted PHBV was investigated by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and polarized optical microscopy (POM). During the coolinginduced crystallization process, the crystallization temperature and the crystallization rate of the grafted PHBV decreased with increasing PVP weight fraction. On the heating scans of all grafted PHBV samples, a new crystallization exothermic peak appeared at almost the same temperature, suggesting the operation of a recrystallization process, while the melting temperature (Tm) and the apparent enthalpy of fusion (Δ Hf) were not affected by graft modification. During the isothermal crystallization process at the same temperature, the presence of side PVP groups decreased the spherulitic growth rate and the spherulitic band spacing with increasing PVP weight fraction in samples.

Keywords: poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate)(PHBV); poly(N-vinylpyrrolidone)(PVP); graft modification; crystallization behavior; spherulitic growth rate