BIODEGRADABLE POLY(LACTIC ACID)/MULTIWALLED CARBON NANOTUBE NANOCOMPOSITE FABRICATION USING CASTING AND HOT PRESS TECHNIQUES

Biodegradable advanced polymer composites have recently received a large amount of attention. The present study aimed to design poly(lactic acid) multiwalled carbon nanotube nanocomposites (PLA/MWCNTs) using a simple fabrication technique. A PLA sheet was first dissolved in dichloromethane, and MWCNTs were subsequently added at various concentrations (0.5, 1.5 and 5%) while applying shear strain stirring to achieve dispersion of carbon nanotubes (CNTs). These solutions were then molded and a hot press was used to generate sheets free of voids with entrapped solvent. The prepared samples were characterized using field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), x-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). Our data showed composite samples free of defects and voids, indicating that the hot press is capable of generating sufficiently compact polymer matrices. Additionally, TGA and FTIR showed significant bonding interactions between the PLA matrix and the nano-fillers. Collectively, our results suggest that incorporation of CNTs as nano-fillers into biodegradable polymers may have multiple applications in many different sectors.