Effect of chitosan addition on the properties of low-density polyethylene blend as potential bioplastic

Plastics based on low-density polyethylene (LDPE) blends generally have limited miscibility, and it is difficult to obtain a homogeneous blend. Although they show excellent properties, their thermal degradation rate is a concern. This work aims to realize a homogeneous blend with higher chitosan concentration, thus expected to increase its degradation properties. An extrusion technique successfully synthesized LDPE and chitosan blends. The mixtures were prepared by adding maleic anhydride (MA) and tert-butyl peroxybenzoate (TBPB) as a compatibilizer and initiator, respectively. The addition of MA and TBPB resulted in homogeneous blends and using chitosan concentration of 40 %wt resulted in better tensile strength and elongation at break. The water uptake increased along with chitosan concentration in the blends. The thermal behavior analysis of the blends conducted by simultaneous TG/DTA revealed that the increase of chitosan concentration tends to improve the blend's thermal degradation slightly. Moreover, chitosan addition resulted in approximately a hundred times larger biodegradability compared to plastics based on LDPE alone.