Composite films of polypropylene (PP) and modified calcium carbonate (CaCO 3 ) were prepared in a twin screw extruder with particle content varying from 0.5, 1.0, and 1.5 phr. The CaCO 3 surface was modified by palmitic acid (PA) at 1, 3, and 5 %wt. The modified CaCO 3 surface was characterized by FTIR and XRD to indicate that the modifier is combined on the CaCO 3 surface. The results showed that optimum of PA attached to that CaCO 3 surface was 5 %wt. The influence of modified CaCO 3 with and without PA of PP film on the mechanical (tensile strength, Young's modulus and elongation at break), barrier (OP), thermal (DMTA, DSC), physical (XRD, SEM and OM) properties were studied. The results observed that incorporation of modified CaCO 3 0.5 phr into PP film showed more dispersion than PP with CaCO 3 . Furthermore, the addition modified CaCO 3 increased tensile strength, Young's modulus, oxygen permeability and melting point from 22.10 MPa, 984.21 MPa, 3.22 10 -17 m.m 3 /s.m 2 .Pa, and 156.16 ºC (neat PP) to 28.38 MPa, 1222.88 MPa, 3.43 10 -17 m.m 3 /s.m 2 .Pa, and 160.37 ºC (PP/0.5 modified CaCO 3 ), respectively. The finding on PP/modified CaCO 3 composite films has potential for microwaveable packaging.

Biofoams containing polylactic acid (PLA) and an epoxidized natural rubber (ENR-50) were prepared using various chemical foaming agents (CFA). The factors that affect the properties and characteristics of the biodegradable foams were epoxidized natural rubber (ENR)-50 and CFA contents. ENR-50 is one of the toughening agents used for blending with PLA by twin-screw extruder followed by compression moulding. Water absorption increased with increasing ENR-50 and CFA contents, due to the effect of polarity and natural hydrophilicity of the oxirane groups of ENR-50. The percentage crystallinity decreased with the addition of ENR-50 and CFA, due to the interaction between the epoxy groups of the ENR-50 and the carbonyl groups of the PLA, which makes movement more difficult and hinders the arrangement of the crystal. The addition of ENR in blend foam led to the increase of impact strength. Whereas the flexural strength of PLA/ENR foams decreased with increased ENR content. The impact strength and flexural strength of PLA/ENR-50 foams were investigated and the experimental data were analysed through SPSS and MATLAB, to optimize as well as to determine the significance of the factors affecting the impact strength and flexural strength of the foams. The parameterization of the mathematical method for different content of the initial controlled substance was achieved by fitting the mathematical model with the experimental data for impact strength and flexural strength. The 3-D curves obtained from the proposed mathematical models were plotted.