Biodegradale PLA nanocomposites: enhancing the optical response with multiwalles carbon nanotubes

LAURA RIBBA; GUADALUPE DIAZ COSTANZO; SILVIA LEDESMA; SILVIA GOYANES

Bogotá

Simposio; XIII Simposio Latinoamericano de Polímeros - SLAP; 2012

Lately there has been a strong demand in the field of biodegradable polymer composites for a wide range of applications. In this work, optical and electric properties in a 98% biodegradable poly(lactic acid) (PLA) nanocomposite containing very low amounts of carbon nanotubes and an azo dye is reported. The addition of Disperse Orange 3 in the nanocomposites not only helps dispersing the carbon nanotubes but also enhances the optical response of the nanocomposites. Also, PLA nanocomposites with a MWCNT content as low as 0.3 wt % allowed to achieve electrical conductivity of the order of 1.6 x 10-1 S·m-1. The electrical conductivity in the nanocomposite varies with the MWCNT content. Both electrical and optical properties in these PLA composites could lead to novel materials for future development of biodegradable electro-optical sensors.