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Biodegradable Composite Foams of PLA and PHBV Using Subcritical CO2

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Abstract

One key strategy for increasing the application potential for biodegradable plastics lies in improving the physical and mechanical characteristics, which can be attained by inducing a cellular morphology in the pure polymer with the aid of a blowing agent, as well as by blending two or more polymers with the desirable properties. This paper examines the effect that blending two biodegradable polymers has on the thermal properties and morphology of the resultant foams blown with carbon dioxide (CO2). Polylactic acid (PLA), polyhydroxybutyrate-co-valerate (PHBV) and blends of both were foamed and characterized in terms of thermal characteristics, relative density, cell size, and foam morphology. The results indicate that although PLA and PHBV are immiscible, the presence of small quantities of PHBV (25 wt%) could lead to low density foams with finer, more uniform cells. Furthermore, the crystallinity of PHBV was found to be unaffected by the presence of PLA in the composite, which supports the immiscibility of PLA and PHBV.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada

    Esther Richards & Hani Naguib

  2. Department of Materials Science, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada

    Reza Rizvi, Andrew Chow & Hani Naguib

Authors
  1. Esther Richards
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  2. Reza Rizvi
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  3. Andrew Chow
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  4. Hani Naguib
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Correspondence to Hani Naguib.

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Richards, E., Rizvi, R., Chow, A. et al. Biodegradable Composite Foams of PLA and PHBV Using Subcritical CO2 . J Polym Environ 16, 258–266 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10924-008-0110-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10924-008-0110-y

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