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Influence of addition of organic fillers on the properties of mechanically recycled PLA

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Abstract

Poly(lactic acid) (PLA) is one of the most used biobased and biodegradable polymers. Due to their high stability, some of the newest grades of PLA are only degradable under severe industrial conditions. For these grades, mechanical recycling is a viable end-of-life option, with great environmental advantages. However, the polymer undergoes degradation during its service life and in the melt reprocessing, which leads to a decrease in properties that can compromise the recyclability of PLA. The goal of this work was to evaluate the usefulness of adding small amounts of two organic fillers, chitosan, and silk fibroin nanoparticles, during the recycling process for improving the properties of the recycled plastic. The degradation level of the aged polymer and the nature and amount of filler affect the performance of the recycled plastics. The fillers reduce the degradation during the melt reprocessing of PLA previously subjected to severe hydrolysis, thus increasing the intrinsic viscosity of the recycled plastic. A careful selection of the added organic filler lead to recycled plastics with improvements in some key mechanical, thermal, and barrier properties. Thus, the use of organic fillers represents a cost-effective and environmentally sound way for improving the mechanical recycling of bioplastics.

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Abbreviations

PLA:

Poly(lactic acid)

SFN:

Silk fibroin nanoparticles

SF:

Silk fibroin

SEM:

Scanning electron microscopy

DSC:

Differential scanning calorimetry

TGA:

Thermogravimetric analysis

WVTR:

Water vapor transmission rate

HSFN:

Silk fibroin nanoparticles obtained by acid hydrolysis

DSFN:

Silk fibroin nanoparticles obtained by desolvation

FTIR:

Fourier-transform infrared

ATR:

Attenuated total reflectance

T g :

Glass transition temperature

T cc :

Cold crystallization temperature

T m :

Melting temperature

ΔH cc :

Cold crystallization enthalpy

ΔH m :

Melting enthalpy

X c :

Crystallinity degree

T 10 :

Temperature at which 10% of the mass

T max :

temperature of maximum degradation rate

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Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank the Institute of Polymer Science and Technology (Madrid, Spain), for collaborating in the SEM measurements.

Funding

This work was supported by MINECO-Spain (project CTM2017-88989-P), Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (project UPM RP 160543006), and the European Commission (Horizon 2020, project 860407-BIO-PLASTICS EUROPE). Dr. Lozano-Pérez’s research contract at IMIDA was partially supported (80%) by the ERDF/FEDER Operational Programme “Murcia” CCI N° 2007ES161PO001 (Project No. 14-20/20).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Dpto. Ingeniería Química Industrial y Medio Ambiente, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, E.T.S.I. Industriales, 28006, Madrid, Spain

    Freddys R. Beltrán, Gerald Gaspar & Joaquín M. Martínez Urreaga

  2. Grupo de Investigación: Polímeros, Caracterización y Aplicaciones (POLCA, Associated Unit to CSIC), Madrid, Spain

    Freddys R. Beltrán, María U. de la Orden & Joaquín M. Martínez Urreaga

  3. Mahshahr Campus, Amirkabir University of Technology, P.O. Box 63517-13178, Mahshahr, Iran

    Masoud Dadras Chomachayi

  4. Department of Polymer Engineering & Color Technology, Amirkabir University of Technology, P.O. Box 15875-4413, Tehran, Iran

    Azam Jalali-Arani

  5. Dpto. Biotecnología, Instituto Murciano de Investigación y Desarrollo Agrario y Alimentario (IMIDA), 30150, Murcia, Spain

    Antonio A. Lozano-Pérez & José L. Cenis

  6. Dpto. de Química Orgánica I, Facultad de Óptica y Optometría, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, 28037, Madrid, Spain

    María U. de la Orden

  7. Instituto de Ciencia y Tecnología de Polímeros, ICTP-CSIC, 28006, Madrid, Spain

    Ernesto Pérez

Authors
  1. Freddys R. Beltrán
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  2. Gerald Gaspar
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  3. Masoud Dadras Chomachayi
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  4. Azam Jalali-Arani
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  5. Antonio A. Lozano-Pérez
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  6. José L. Cenis
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  7. María U. de la Orden
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  8. Ernesto Pérez
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  9. Joaquín M. Martínez Urreaga
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Joaquín M. Martínez Urreaga.

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Beltrán, F.R., Gaspar, G., Dadras Chomachayi, M. et al. Influence of addition of organic fillers on the properties of mechanically recycled PLA. Environ Sci Pollut Res 28, 24291–24304 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-020-08025-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-020-08025-7

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