https://doi.org/10.15255/KUI.2018.011
Published: Kem. Ind. 67 (13) (2018) P33–P42
Paper reference number: KUI-11/2018
Paper type: Original scientific paper
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Thermal Properties of Biodegradable PLA/TPS Blends

V. Ocelić Bulatović, E. Govorčin Bajsić, D. Kučić Grgić and A. Jozinović

Abstract

In this paper, thermal properties of polylactide (PLA) and thermoplastic starch (TPS) blends with different proportions of TPS were investigated. TPS at different ratios of glycerol (30 and 40 wt. %) as a plasticizer, were prepared. To gain an insight into the hydrophilic/hydrophobic character of the PLA/TPS blends, water absorption was performed. The results of thermal properties indicated that TPS enhanced the cold crystallization process of polylactide due to the nucleation effect of TPS. TPS increases the ability of the PLA crystallization and provides a more accurate alignment of polylactide chains in the crystal structure. The effect of glycerol as a TPS plasticizer has no significant role in the thermal properties, while water absorption testing has shown that with higher glycerol content as TPS plasticizers, lower water absorption values of PLA/TPS blend are obtained.

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Keywords

polylactide, thermoplastic starch, plastification, glycerol, thermal properties, water absorption