Development of Blends to Improve Flexibility of Biodegradable Polymers

In this study, binary blends of biodegradable polymers were prepared to improve the ductile properties of those that have a more rigid and/or brittle behaviour. Specifically, PLA, PHA and TPS were blended with different amounts of PBS with the objective of reducing the stiffness and brittleness of the three polymers. The compatibility of the blends and their resulting mechanical properties were studied. The flexibility of the blends increased with the addition of PBS; however, a limited compatibility was achieved, leading to a low impact resistance improvement. For this reason, other blend options with an EVA-based material were studied, increasing the impact resistance and flexibility of the PLA material in this case.

Automated summary

This study aimed to improve the ductile properties of rigid and/or brittle biodegradable polymers by preparing binary blends. PLA, PHA, and TPS were blended with different amounts of PBS to reduce stiffness and brittleness. The compatibility and mechanical properties of the blends were studied. Flexibility increased with the addition of PBS, but the achieved compatibility was limited, leading to a low impact resistance improvement. Therefore, other blend options with EVA-based material were explored, improving the impact resistance and flexibility of PLA material.