Properties of poly(lactic acid) (PLA)/poly (butylene adipate-co- terephthalate) (PBAT) blends in the presence of antioxidant

Abstract

Environmental responsibility is increasing in importance to both consumers and industries. Biopolymer like poly (lactic acid); PLA is an interesting polymer to replace existing petroleum-based material. PLA is very rigid but inherently brittle and easily thermal-degraded during processing. To improve the toughness of PLA, poly (butylene adipate-co-terephthalate); PBAT is widely used. This study focuses on the properties of PLA/PBAT blends. The effects of blend composition on the morphology and properties of PLA/PBAT blends were investigated. Also, the use of Irganox antioxidant in improving blend properties is reported. The results showed that the morphology and properties of the blends depend strongly on blend composition. SEM analysis revealed a co-continuous structure in the blend with 50% PLA. The co-continuous structure remained after the addition of Irganox antioxidant. The addition of antioxidant led to a significant improvement in tensile and thermal properties of the blend. The elongation at break and decomposition temperature of the 50/50 blend increased markedly after 0.3% Irganox antioxidant was added. © (2012) Trans Tech Publications.