Blends of PLA with modified starch
Keywords:
Polylactic acid, starch, biodegradable polymer, mechanical properties, renewable resourcesAbstract
Poly(lactic acid), PLA, is a biodegradable polymer, but its applications are limited by its high cost and
relatively poorer properties when compared to petroleum-based plastics. The addition of starch powder into PLA is
one of the most promising efforts because starch is an abundant and cheap biopolymer. However, the challenge is the
major problem associated with poor interfacial adhesion between the hydrophilic starch granules and the hydrophobic
PLA, leading to poorer mechanical properties. In this paper, cashew nut shell oil(CNSL) maleate was synthesized by
grafing CNSL with various weight percents of maleic anhydride (MA) using dicumyl peroxide (DCP) as an initiator.
WHEN, CNSL was employed for the surface modifying of corn starch powder, resulting in CNSL-g-STARCH. We
obtained CNSL-g-STARCH was mixed with PLA in various weight ratios using twin-screw extruder, resulting in
PLA/CNSL-g-STARCH. Finally, the obtained PLA/CNSL-g-STARCH composites were prepared by a compression
molding machines. The compatibility, thermal properties, morphology properties, and mechanical properties were
characterized and evaluated.
