Viscoelastic and Properties of Amphiphilic Chitin in Plasticised Polylactic Acid/Starch Biocomposite

Abstract

The enhancement of the PLA thermomechanical properties is significant due to its suitability as a replacement for primary synthetic polymer use in diverse industrial production. The amphiphilic chitin was used as a compatibilizer in PLA/starch biocomposite. The properties of plasticised polylactic acid blended with starch, and amphiphilic chitin was studied for enhanced thermomechanical and viscoelastic properties. Chitin was modified using acetylated substitution reaction and blended with plasticised PLA/starch biocomposite. The biocomposite was prepared with combined compression and melt extrusion techniques. The biocomposite’s thermomechanical, thermal, mechanical, and morphological properties were studied using dynamic mechanical analysis, TGA-DSC, tensile test, and scanning electron microscopy. The storage and loss modulus were significantly enhanced with increased amphiphilic chitin content. Similarly, the single peak of tan delta showed good miscibility of the polymeric blend. Additionally, the modulus increases with frequency change from 1 Hz to 10 Hz. The thermal stability of the biocomposite was observed to be lower than the neat PLA. The tensile properties of the biocomposite increased significantly more than the neat PLA, with P4S4C having the highest tensile strength and modulus of 87 MPa and 7600 MPa. The SEM images show good miscibility with no significant void in the fractured surface. The viscoelastic properties of PLA were enhanced considerably with plasticizer and amphiphilic chitin with improved biodegradability. The properties of the biocomposite can be adapted for various industrial applications.

High‐performance poly(lactic acid)/starch materials prepared via starch surface modification and its in situ enhancement

“…As shown in Figure 9a,b, pure PLA exhibited larger values of G′ and G′′, with smaller differences in G′ at low frequencies but larger differences in G′′ at low frequencies. This finding was due to the tightly packed molecular chain structure of pure PLA, which required significant chain friction force to overcome when molecular‐chain movement was comparable with the force acting upon it at low frequencies 47 . After adding the coupling agent, the dependence of the G′ diagonal frequency on PLA 70 /ST 30 /SCA 1 blends was enhanced, whereas G′ and G′′ were reduced compared with pure PLA and PLA 70 /ST 30 blends.…”

“…This finding was due to the tightly packed molecular chain structure of pure PLA, which required significant chain friction force to overcome when molecular-chain movement was comparable with the force acting upon it at low frequencies. 47 After adding the coupling agent, the dependence of the G 0 diagonal frequency on PLA 70 /ST 30 /SCA 1 blends was enhanced, whereas G 0 and G 00 were reduced compared with pure PLA and PLA 70 /ST 30 blends. Adding the SCA made the viscoelastic characteristics of the blend more pronounced, with the lowest values of G 0 and G 00 observed at the same frequency for PLA 70 /ST 30 /SCA 1 blends.…”

Challenges and Opportunities in Additive Manufacturing Polymer Technology: A Review Based on Optimization Perspective

“…The lower cost of raw materials and machinery gets more attention in the market for increased producers and users of AM. Thermoplastic polymers like PLA (polylactic acid) and ABS (acrylonitrile butadiene styrene) are used as raw materials in the form of filament and the standard filament wire diameter used as 1.75 mm [43]. FDM machine and their important components such as filament spoof, filament, extruder, melting zones, molten filament, and object in the build platform are shown in Figure 4.…”

A Decision-Making Carbon Reinforced Material Selection Model for Composite Polymers in Pipeline Applications

“…The manufacture of rotating components has been done using a variety of thermoplastic polymers, including ABS, PLA, polyethylene terephthalate glycol (PETG), PEEK, and polyphenylene sulfide (PPS) [26][27][28][29].…”