Effect of maleic anhydride and titanate coupling agent as additives on the properties of poly (butylene adipate-co-terephthalate)/thermoplastic starch films

Poly (butylene adipate-co-terephthalate) (PBAT)/thermoplastic starch (TPS) films with additives (maleic anhydride (MA) and titanate coupling agent (TC)) were prepared. The thermal, mechanical, morphological, hydrophobic and biodegradable properties of the films were tested. With the addition of MA and TC, the compatibility and dispersibility of the composite demonstrate enormous improvement, which enhanced the mechanical properties of the films. The tensile strengths of PBAT/TPS films increased from 13.1 to 26.7 MPa in the machine direction (MD) and from 8.3 to 17.2 MPa in the transverse direction (TD). The Young's modulus increased from 101.5 to 155.6 MPa in MD and from 84.3 to 120.7 MPa in TD. Meanwhile, the biodegradation test showed that the PBAT/TPS films had a higher aging resistance in the presence of MA/TC. These findings gave PBAT/TPS films great applications for designing and manufacturing biodegradation package in life.

Automated summary

By adding MA and TC, the compatibility and dispersibility of PBAT/TPS films were significantly improved, enhancing mechanical properties with increased tensile strengths and Young's modulus. The biodegradation test also showed improved aging resistance when MA/TC were present, indicating great potential for biodegradable packaging applications.