Abstract
Abstract Global plastic pollution concerns and materials advancements have facilitated the development of new biodegradable smart materials. This study focused on the fabrication of temperature sensors from polylactic acid (PLA)/polybutylene co-adipate terephthalate (PBAT) blends incorporated with thermochromic black (TCB) pigments. Blends of different PLA/PBAT weight ratios (100/0, 70/30, 50/50, 30/70, 0/100) and pigment concentrations (0, 1, 3 phr) were tested using visual and colorimetric analysis, Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, tensile test and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The pigmented specimens showed dark grey and white colorations at temperatures 10 and 35 °C respectively, indicating visible thermochromism. FTIR detected no chemical reaction between constituents in the blends. Tensile strength of PLA/PBAT blends decreased when more pigments were added. From SEM, phase separation between PLA and PBAT was unaffected by the incorporation of pigments. We concluded that PLA70/PBAT30 and PLA30/PBAT70 blends with 1 phr pigments were the most suitable to fabricate temperature sensors.
Published Version
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