Thermal, Morphological, and Mechanical Properties of Biobased and Biodegradable Blends of Poly(lactic acid) and Chemically Modified Thermoplastic Starch

In this study, poly(lactic acid) (PLA) was blended with chemically modified thermoplastic starch (CMPS) in a twin-screw extruder. The characteristic properties of PLA/CMPS blends were investigated by observing the morphology, thermal, and mechanical properties, and biodegradability. Differential scanning calorimetry showed that the PLA/CMPS were thermodynamically immiscible. However, scanning electron microscopy and Fourier transform infrared studies revealed that the interfacial adhesion was improved by the PLA-g-starch copolymers that were formed at the interface through a transesterification reaction between PLA and CMPS. The crystallinity of the PLA component in the blend was increased by the addition of the CMPS and was highly affected by the morphology of the blend. The tensile strength and elongation were found to decrease in a linear trend with increasing CMPS content. The biodegradability of the blends increased with increasing CMPS content, while initial time lag decreased. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 51:826-834, 2011. (C) 2011 Society of Plastics Engineers