INVESTIGADORES
GOYANES Silvia Nair
congresos y reuniones científicas
Título:
PLA intelligent packaging using MWCNT and DO3 dye
Autor/es:
L. RIBBA; FAMA, L; I. MONDRAGON; S. GOYANES,
Reunión:
Congreso; 3rd International Conference on Biodegradable and Biobased Polymers, BIOPOL; 2011
Resumen:
Currently,
there is strong demand for materials with specific properties in view
of different applications. Polymers are among the most widely used
because of their multiple possibilities of adaptation and combination.
Poly(lactic acid) (PLA) is a biodegradable thermoplastic polymer based
in aliphatic polyesters, presently used in the packaging industry.
Carbon
nanotubes have been studied as an effective reinforcement for polymer
composites due to their exceptional mechanical properties, large surface
area to volume ratio and electrical conductivity. Among the many
applications of carbon nanotubes as nanofillers in polymer matrix
composite, one is their use as sensors based on changes in electrical
conductivity of the material [1,2]. To employ multiwalled carbon
nanotubes (MWCNT) as effective reinforcement in polymer nanocomposites,
proper dispersion has to be guaranteed. One way of improving their
dispersion is through non-covalent functionalization. Particularly, it
has been demonstrated that a diazo dye molecule, Disperse Orange 3
(DO3), efficiently improves the dispersion of MWCNT in tetrahydrofuran
without damaging the molecular characteristics of carbon nanotubes and
thus preserving their properties [2]. On the other hand, photoresponsive
polymers containing azobenzene moieties have been extensively
investigated because of their promising and diversified applications in
optical data storage, optical switching,and optoelectronics [3,4]. The
combination of MWCNT-DO3-PLA is a promising combination for the
implementation of these new materials as electrical-optical-sensors. A
special consideration should be made about the use of this material as
food packaging, since both the D03 and the nanotubes present some
restrictions [5,6]. This work aims at the adequate dispersion of MWCNT
in a PLA matrix using DO3 as a surfactant, to achieve electric
conducting, optically active composites with better wear resistance than
PLA matrix