Analysis of miscibility and permeability in polylactic acid/tributyrin blends

IGLESIAS MONTES, MAGDALENA LUZ; D'AMICO D.A.; MANFREDI, LILIANA B.; CYRAS, VIVIANA P.

Buenos Aires

Workshop; II Workshop on Bio-degradable Polymers and Biocomposites III Workshop BIOPURFIL, Bio-based Polyurethane Composites with Natural Fillers; 2015

UBA-ITPN

Research in biodegradable polymers has received increased attention in recent years. In this sense, polylactic acid (PLA) is one of the most adequate alternatives not only for its biodegradability and natural origin, but also for its high mechanical properties, transparency and easy processing. However, PLA application is currently limited to rigid containers due to its low ductility, making necessary the addition of plasticizers to obtain flexible films. Tributyrin (TBL), a natural triglyceride present in fats and oils, has shown to be a good candidate as plasticizer for bio-based polymers. The addition of plasticizers to PLA improves its inherent brittle nature. Nevertheless, it could also have a negative effect in significant properties, such as thermal stability and gas barrier. In this context, the main goal of the present work was to obtain PLA/TBL blends with improved properties than the pure polymer and evaluate its thermal stability and barrier properties. Also, the compatibility between TBL and PLA was studied.