Biodegradability study of polylactic acid/ thermoplastic polyurethane blends

Blends with varied ratio of polylactic acid (PLA) and thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) were prepared by melt blending. The PLA content in blends was 20, 40, 60 and 80 wt%. Samples of pure PLA and TPU that underwent the same thermal treatment were also prepared. Biodegradation was examined by respiro...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Polymer testing 2015-10, Vol.47, p.1-3
Main Authors: Jašo, Vladislav, Glenn, Gregory, Klamczynski, Artur, Petrović, Zoran S.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Biodegradability
biodegradation
Blends
Degradation
heat treatment
Melt blending
molecular weight
Morphology
plasticizers
Polylactic acid
Polymer blends
polyurethanes
Thermoplastic polyurethane
thermoplastics
Urethane thermoplastic elastomers
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Summary:Blends with varied ratio of polylactic acid (PLA) and thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) were prepared by melt blending. The PLA content in blends was 20, 40, 60 and 80 wt%. Samples of pure PLA and TPU that underwent the same thermal treatment were also prepared. Biodegradation was examined by respirometry. Pure TPU started to degrade immediately due to degradation of the low molecular weight plasticizer in the polymer. Pure PLA, on the other hand, exhibited an incubation period after which degradation progressed rapidly and was almost complete after 70 days. The degradation profile of the blends can be correlated to their morphology. Samples with a co-continuous morphology initially degrade at a higher rate than the rest of the samples due to the higher exposure of the TPU phase in these blends.
ISSN:0142-9418
1873-2348
DOI:10.1016/j.polymertesting.2015.07.011