Abstract
The paper presents the effects of biodegradation of polylactide containing natural anti-aging compounds. Polymer containing 0.5; 5 and 10 wt % of coffee, cocoa or cinnamon extracts were subjected to industrial composting for 7, 14, 21 or 28 days. The effect of the composting process on polylactide properties was examined based on visual assessment, scanning electron microscopy, average molecular weight, differential scanning calorimetry, thermogravimetry, and tensile strength. The impact of the tested extracts on the effects of the composting process was compared with the impact of a commercially available anti-aging compound. It was found that the tested extracts in most cases did not adversely affect the effects of the composting process compared to pure polylactide, often resulting in intensification of biodegradation processes. As a result of the composting process, changes in the macro- and microscopic appearance of the samples and a decrease in molecular weight, phase transition temperatures, thermal resistance, and thermal strength were observed on a scale close to or greater than the reference anti-aging compound.
Highlights
Most commonly used synthetic polymers do not decompose under the influence of environmental factors such as water, air, sunlight or a result of the action of microorganisms
This paper presents the results of research on selected properties of polylactide (PLA) containing natural anti-aging compounds and subjected to industrial composting
This paper presents the results of research on selected properties of polylactide containing natural anti-aging compounds in the form of extracts of plant origin
Summary
Most commonly used synthetic polymers do not decompose under the influence of environmental factors such as water, air, sunlight or a result of the action of microorganisms. The percentage share of these materials in waste is constantly increasing. For this reason, in recent years, interest in photodegradable and biodegradable materials with controlled life expectancy has increased, where degradation of the material should begin only after it has fulfilled its task [1,2,3,4,5]. By “biodegradable polymers”, we mean polymers that undergo degradation under the influence of microorganisms (bacteria, yeast, or fungi) and/or isolated enzymes [6,7,8]. If we are dealing with a multi-component polymer material, the degradation of one of the material’s components can cause the loss of its cohesion and dispersion of the other
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