Abstract
The influence of thermoplastic starch (TPS) on the properties of UV-irradiated TPS/high-density polyethylene (HDPE) blends was investigated. Changes in chemical structure, molecular weight, crystallinity, and mechanical properties, as a function of exposure time, were determined using FTIR-spectroscopy, gel permeation chromatography (GPC), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and tensile tests. The inclusion of TPS influence neither the evolution of carbonyl index nor the molecular weight reduction of HDPE/TPS. In contrast, the presence of TPS in the blends increased the fusion enthalpy because of starch retrogradation. This increasing resulted in a corresponding increase of Young’s modulus of HDPE/TPS blends.
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