No abstract

No abstract

No abstract

The aim of this article was to determine the effect of the dicumyl peroxide (DCP) content on thermal and mechanical properties of polylactide (PLA). Reactive extrusion of the PLA and DCP blends was performed. The DCP content varied from 0.2 to 1.0 wt.%. The extruded samples were characterized by the Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), analyses of gel content and swelling degree, thermogravimetry (TG), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA), and tensile and impact strength tests. It was found that DCP caused crosslinking of PLA as well as contributed to formation of low-molecular weight products of decomposition and degradation processes. These products caused plasticization of PLA, which led to a decrease in the glass transition temperature. An increase in tensile strength and decrease in impact strength were observed as the DCP content increased.

In this study, natural extracts of plant origin were used as anti-aging compounds of biodegradable polymers. Coffee (0.5–10 wt%), cocoa, or cinnamon extracts were added to the polylactide matrix. The obtained materials were subjected to an accelerated aging process (720, 1440, or 2160 h) at 45 °C and 70% relative humidity under continuous UV radiation. The effectiveness of the tested extracts was compared to a commercially available anti-aging compound, 2 wt% of butylated hydroxytoluene. Visual evaluation, scanning electron microscopy, melt flow rate, thermogravimetry, differential scanning calorimetry, tensile strength, and impact tensile tests were performed. We show that the use of smaller amounts of tested extracts is particularly advantageous, which do not adversely affect the properties of polylactide-based materials at low contents. At the same time, their effectiveness in stabilizing tested properties during the accelerated aging process is mostly comparable to or greater than the reference compound.