Polylactide-based self-reinforced composites biodegradation: Individual and combined influence of temperature, water and compost

Publication date: Available online 25 October 2018Source: Polymer Degradation and StabilityAuthor(s): O. Gil-Castell, J.D. Badia, S. Ingles-Mascaros, R. Teruel-Juanes, A. Serra, A. Ribes-GreusAbstractSelf-reinforced polymer composites (SRCs) are proposed as a suitable alternative for composite development, based in the combination of a polymeric matrix and a polymeric fibre made of the same polymer. SRCs based in polylactide (PLA) could be fully biodegradable and presumably their valorisation routes could be assimilated to those for neat PLA. In this sense, the aim of this study was to develop new self-reinforced PLA-based composites and ascertain their biodegradability. Self-reinforced PLA-based composites were suitably obtained through a thermo-compression procedure and their biodegradability corroborated under standard conditions (ISO 20200). Moreover, a deep study of the effect of the different factors involved in the biodegradation of PLA-based self-reinforced composites such as the temperature, water and compost medium was considered relevant to delimitate the long-term properties and valorisation routes for these materials. For this purpose, the macroscopic and microscopic appearance as well as the thermo-oxidative stability, the thermal properties and the molar mass were evaluated. Although degradation was perceived due to the effect of temperature, the synergistic combination of water and temperature ‒and compost‒ was found to play a key role in the biodegradatio...

Source: Polymer Degradation and Stability - October 26, 2018 Category: Chemistry Source Type: research