The present research goals to investigate how the preparation technique became the factor to develop materials with a good combination of properties and optimum degradation ability. PLA/CNTs nanocomposites were prepared via melt blending and solution blending that were involved of unmodified carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and modified CNTs (mCNTs) at 1.5 wt.% loading. The surface morphology of nanocomposites was viewed by Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FESEM). The effect of 5 wt.% poly (ethylene glycol) (PEG) as plasticizer on nanocomposites were determined. The weight loss in soil degradation study was run for 6 months. The morphology study by FESEM confirmed the finding through the existence of a smooth fracture surface especially when PEG was loaded. In soil degradation analysis, neat PLA exhibited a low weight loss rate after 6 months. The maximum weight loss for both techniques was shown by PLA/PEG/CNTs from melt blending technique and PLA/PEG/mCNTs from solution blending, believed from the pore occurred bring to poor properties.

The present research goals are to investigate how several parameters became the factor to maximize the degradation ability of biopolymer. Multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) was blended in poly(lactic acid (PLA) assisted by poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) as a plasticizer. PLA/PEG/mCNTs from the melt blending technique was used for analysis in hydrolysis degradation purposely to discover how the time, temperature and pH of media solution could affect the weight loss and validate by Response Surface Methodology (RSM). The hydrolysis study was examined at three parameters of immersion; time from 7 to 28 days; the temperature at 25 °C, 45 °C and 65 °C; and pH of the solution at pH 3 (HCl), pH 6.5 (deionized water) and pH 10 (NaOH). The maximum weight loss, 22.53 % was observed after 28 days of immersion at 65 °C of immersion temperature and pH 3 of solution. The quadratic model developed was reasonably accurate based on the R2 value of 0.966, insignificant lack of fit, and low percentage error during validation experiment from the predicted values (< 5 %).