Abstract
Near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) has been widely used for quantitative and/or qualitative determination of a wide range of matrices. The objective of this study was to develop a NIRS method for the quantitative determination of fluorine content in polylactide (PLA)-talc blends. A blending profile was obtained by mixing different amounts of PLA granules and talc powder. The calibration model was built correlating wet chemical data (alkali digestion method) and NIR spectra. Using FT (Fourier Transform)-NIR technique, a Partial Least Squares (PLS) regression model was set-up, in a concentration interval of 0 ppm of pure PLA to 800 ppm of pure talc. Fluorine content prediction (R2cal = 0.9498; standard error of calibration, SEC = 34.77; standard error of cross-validation, SECV = 46.94) was then externally validated by means of a further 15 independent samples (R2EX.V = 0.8955; root mean standard error of prediction, RMSEP = 61.08). A positive relationship between an inorganic component as fluorine and NIR signal has been evidenced, and used to obtain quantitative analytical information from the spectra.
Highlights
Today, polymers are principally of non-renewable origin, and based on crude oil and natural gas resources
From a chemical point of view, polylactide or polylactic acid (PLA) is a polyester usually made from α-hydroxy acids, and is considered biodegradable and compostable [3]
PLA is produced commercially through the synthesis of lactide, followed by a polycondensation of the ring-open lactides
Summary
Polymers are principally of non-renewable origin, and based on crude oil and natural gas resources. Several sustained research have been carried out on biodegradable polymers derived from renewable sources as one of the solutions to reduce waste disposal problems and to limit the dependence on petroleum-based materials [2]. The monomer of PLA, lactic acid (2-hydroxy propionic acid), is principally produced by the fermentation of renewable resources such as starch and sugars, and is nowadays only rarely obtained from petroleum-based ethylene [4]. It is worth noting that based on the proportion of the two enantiomers in the polymer chain, different properties of PLA can be obtained, depending on the performance required [5].
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