Preliminary results on the wettability and surface free energy of poly(lactic acid) – thermoplastic cassava starch films reinforced with graphene nanoplatelets

ANIBAL BHER; JONATHAN M. SCHUSTER; RAFAEL AURAS; CARLOS E. SCHVEZOV

Posadas

Jornada; 3ras Jornadas del IMAM; 2021

Instituto de Materiales de Misiones

Poly(lactic acid) – PLA - and its blends with other biopolymers are considered as sustainable materials. Applications in the area of food and medical packaging, agriculture and automotive industries have been extensively reported. Furthermore, nanoparticles have been incorporated to improve PLA’s mechanical, thermal, electrical, and barrier properties. For most applications the surface properties become relevant. Thus, the assessment of the wettability (W) and surface free energy (𝛾𝑠) must be determined to understand surface properties.