Abstract
In the present study, two commercial typologies of microfibrillated cellulose (MFC) (Exilva and Celish) with 2% wt % were firstly melt-compounded at the laboratory scale into polylactic acid (PLA) by a microcompounder. To reach an MFC proper dispersion and avoid the well-known aglomeration problems, the use of two kinds of biobased plasticisers (poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) and lactic acid oligomer (OLA)) were investigated. The plasticizers had the dual effect of dispersing the MFC, and at the same time, they counterbalanced the excessive stiffness caused by the addition of MFC to the PLA matrix. Several preliminaries dilution tests, with different aqueous cellulose suspension/plasticizer weight ratios were carried out. These tests were accompanied by SEM observations and IR and mechanical tests on compression-molded films in order to select the best plasticizer content. The best formulation was then scaled up in a semi-industrial twin-screw extruder, feeding the solution by a peristaltic pump, to optimize the industrial-scale production of commercial MFC-based composites with a solvent-free method. From this study, it can be seen that the use of plasticisers as dispersing aids is a biobased and green solution that can be easily used in conventional extrusion techniques.
Highlights
In the 21st century, the need of finding new substitute materials, to minimize environmental footprint, is ever more pressing due to many ecological issues [1,2]
The results obtained are in accordance with other studies related to microfibrillated cellulose (MFC) typologies [42,43]
In order to overcome the well-known MFC agglomeration drawback and at the same time to have a green manufacturing process, it was decided to investigate the use of two different typologies of biobased and biodegradable plasticizers (OLA 2 and poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) 400) as dispersing agents
Summary
In the 21st century, the need of finding new substitute materials, to minimize environmental footprint, is ever more pressing due to many ecological issues [1,2]. There is growing interest in biobased materials, especially for food packaging applications, to substitute the currently used petrochemical-based polymers. Its poor flexibility, impact resistance, thermal stability during processing, and crystallization rates limit its applications [6]. A common sustainable technique to improve the final performances of PLA is related to different strategies, such as the development of natural-fiber-reinforced biocomposites [7,8,9,10,11]. Biocomposites show an improvement of both mechanical properties and thermal stability with respect to neat biopolymers
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