Abstract
Poly(lactic acid) (PLA)/halloysite nanotube (HNT) nanocomposite thin films were prepared via melt compounding followed by compression molding. Epoxidized natural rubber (ENR) was used to toughen the PLA/HNT nanocomposites. The effects of the HNTs and ENR on the oxygen permeability of the PLA films were evaluated. The oxidation onset temperatures (OOTs) of the PLA nanocomposites were measured using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and the thermal decomposition was assessed by thermogravimetric analysis (TG). PLA/HNT6/ENR5 exhibits the lowest oxygen permeability coefficient of the films studied, which indicates that the barrier properties of PLA/HNT6 were enhanced by the incorporation of 5 mass% ENR. From the DSC results, the addition of 6 mass% HNT shifted the OOT of the PLA to higher temperatures, improving the antioxidant properties of the PLA nanocomposites. The thermal decomposition behavior of the PLA/HNT nanocomposites depends on the HNT loading, ENR loading, and testing environment (i.e., nitrogen and oxygen). The TEM images suggest that ENR promoted good interaction between the PLA and HNT, which confirms that good adhesion between HNT and ENR generates longer tortuous pathways for oxygen permeation and results in a PLA/HNT nanocomposite with enhanced barrier properties.
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