Abstract
Polypropylene/polylactic acid (PP/PLA) blend (10–40% of PLA) and PP/PLA/MWCNTs nanocomposites (0.5, 1, and 2 wt% of MWCNTs) were prepared via melt compounding. Scanning electron microscopy revealed a co-continuous PLA phase in the PP/PLA blends with high PLA content. Moreover, the addition of 2 wt% multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) increased the tensile modulus and tensile strength of the PP/PLA40% by 60% and 95%, respectively. A conductive network was found with the addition of 2 wt% MWCNTs, where the electrical conductivity of the PP/PLA increased by nine orders of magnitude. At 2 wt% MWCNTs, a solid network within the composite was characterized by rheological assessment, where the composite turned from nonterminal to terminal behavior. Soil burial testing of the PP/PLA blend within 30 days in natural humus compost soil featured suitable biodegradation, which indicates the PP/PLA blend is as an appropriate candidate for food packing applications.
Highlights
Since the last decades, polymer blends and composites have been used in different applications due to their significant electrical, mechanical, the rmal, and biodegradation properties
The multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs), PP, and polylactic acid (PLA) materials were dried for 24 h at 70 ◦C in an oven to remove the residue of humidity before the compounding
The morphology of the PP/PLA blends and PP/PLA/MWCNTs nanocomposites were studied by a field emission scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM) (TESCAN, model MIRA3, Czech Republic)
Summary
Polymer blends and composites have been used in different applications due to their significant electrical, mechanical, the rmal, and biodegradation properties. From the mechanical point of view, PLA behaves as a glassy polymer with high brittleness [21,22], featuring a tensile strength of 30 to 50 MPa and a tensile modulus of 2 to 4 GPa. the elongation at break of PLA is roughly low, in the range of 1% to 10%, depending on its molecular weight, enantiomeric purity, and the degree of crystallinity. The chemical interaction between two immiscible polymers (PP and PLA) is studied by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) Mechanical properties, such as the tensile strength and tensile modulus, are studied to evaluate the stiffness and elongation at break of the polymer blends and composites. The biodegradability of the blends is studied via the soil burial test
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
