The Mechanical, Thermal and Morphological Properties of Graphene Nanoplatelets Filled Poly(lactic acid)/Epoxidized Palm Oil Blends

2014 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 57 ◽  
Author(s):  
Buong Woei Chieng ◽  
Nor Azowa Ibrahim ◽  
Wan Md Zin Wan Yunus ◽  
Mohd Zobir Hussein

Poly(lactic acid) (PLA)-based nanocomposites filled with graphene nanoplatelets (xGnP) that contains epoxidized palm oil (EPO) as plasticizer were prepared by melt blending method. PLA was first plasticized by EPO to improve its flexibility and thereby overcome its problem of brittleness. Then, xGnP was incoporated into plasticized PLA to enhance its mechanical properties. Plasticized and nanofilled PLA nanocomposites (PLA/EPO/xGnP) showed improvement in the elongation at break by 3322% and 61% compared to pristine PLA and PLA/EPO, respectively. The use of EPO and xGnP increases the mobility of the polymeric chains, thereby improving the flexibility and plastic deformation of PLA. The nanocomposites also resulted in an increase of up to 26.5% in the tensile strength compared with PLA/EPO blend. XRD pattern showed the presence of peak around 26.5° in PLA/EPO/xGnP nanocomposites which corresponds to characteristic peak of graphene nanoplatelets. Plasticized PLA reinforced with xGnP showed that increasing the xGnP content triggers a substantial increase in thermal stability. Crystallinity of the nanocomposites as well as cold crystallization and melting temperature did not show any significant changes upon addition of xGnP. However, there was a significant decrease of glass transition temperature up to 0.3wt% of xGnP incorporation. The TEM micrograph of PLA/EPO/xGnP shows that the xGnP was uniformly dispersed in the PLA matrix and no obvious aggregation was observed.

2014 ◽  
Vol 970 ◽  
pp. 312-316
Author(s):  
Sujaree Tachaphiboonsap ◽  
Kasama Jarukumjorn

Thermoplastic starch (TPS)/poly (lactic acid) (PLA) blend and thermoplastic starch (TPS)/poly (lactic acid) (PLA)/poly (butylene adipate-co-terephthalate) (PBAT) blend were prepared by melt blending method. PLA grafted with maleic anhydride (PLA-g-MA) was used as a compatibilizer to improve the compatibility of the blends. As TPS was incorporated into PLA, elongation at break was increased while tensile strength, tensile modulus, and impact strength were decreased. Tensile properties and impact properties of TPS/PLA blend were improved with adding PLA-g-MA indicating the enhancement of interfacial adhesion between PLA and TPS. With increasing PBAT content, elongation at break and impact strength of TPS/PLA blends were improved. The addition of TPS decreased glass transition temperature (Tg), crystallization temperature (Tc), and melting temperature (Tm) of PLA. Tgand Tcof TPS/PLA blend were decreased by incorporating PLA-g-MA. However, the presence of PBAT reduced Tcof TPS/PLA blend. Thermal properties of TPS/PLA/PBAT blends did not change with increasing PBAT content. SEM micrographs revealed that the compatibilized TPS/PLA blends exhibited finer morphology when compared to the uncompatibilized TPS/PLA blend.


2012 ◽  
Vol 13 (9) ◽  
pp. 10920-10934 ◽  
Author(s):  
Buong Woei Chieng ◽  
Nor Azowa Ibrahim ◽  
Wan Md Zin Wan Yunus ◽  
Mohd Zobir Hussein ◽  
V. S. Giita Silverajah

2016 ◽  
Vol 846 ◽  
pp. 429-433 ◽  
Author(s):  
Buong Woei Chieng ◽  
Ibrahim Nor Azowa ◽  
Yoon Yee Then ◽  
Yuet Ying Loo

Poly(lactic acid) (PLA)-based nanocomposites filled with graphene nanoplatelets (xGnP) and containing epoxidized palm oil (EPO) as plasticizer were prepared by melt blending method. PLA was first plasticized by EPO to improve its flexibility and thereby overcome its problem of brittleness. Then, xGnP was incoporated into plasticized PLA to enhance its mechanical properteis. Plasticized and naonofilled PLA nanocomposites (PLA/EPO/xGnP) showed improvement in the elongation at break by 61% compared with plasticized PLA (PLA/EPO). The use of EPO and xGnP increases the mobility of the polymeric chains, thereby improving the flexibility and plastic deformation of PLA. The nanocomposites also resulted in an increase of up to 26.5% in the tensile strength compared with PLA/EPO blend. PLA/EPO reinforced with xGnP shows that increasing the xGnP content triggers a substantial increase in thermal stability. The TEM image of PLA/EPO/xGnP shows that the xGnP was uniformly dispersed in the PLA matrix and no obvious aggregation is observed.


2014 ◽  
Vol 1024 ◽  
pp. 136-139 ◽  
Author(s):  
Buong Woei Chieng ◽  
Ibrahim Nor Azowa ◽  
Wan Yunus Wan Md Zin ◽  
Mohd Zobir Hussein

Graphene nanoplatelets (xGnP) were investigated as a novel nanoreinforcement filler in poly (lactic acid)(PLA)/poly (ethylene glycol)(PEG) blends by melt blending method. The prepared nanocomposites exhibited a significant improvement in tensile properties at a low xGnP loading. The tensile properties demonstrated the addition of 0.3wt% of xGnP led to an increase of up to 32.7%, 69.5% and 21.9% in tensile strength, tensile modulus and elongation at break of the nanocomposites respectively, compared to PLA/PEG blend. The nanocomposites also shows enhanced thermal stability compared with PLA/PEG blend in thermogravimetry analysis (TGA). Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) image of PLA/PEG/0.3wt% xGnP displays good uniformity and more homogenous morphology.


2012 ◽  
Vol 13 (5) ◽  
pp. 5878-5898 ◽  
Author(s):  
V. S. Giita Silverajah ◽  
Nor Azowa Ibrahim ◽  
Wan Md Zin Wan Yunus ◽  
Hazimah Abu Hassan ◽  
Chieng Buong Woei

Polymers ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (24) ◽  
pp. 4279
Author(s):  
Mónica Elvira Mendoza-Duarte ◽  
Iván Alziri Estrada-Moreno ◽  
Perla Elvia García-Casillas ◽  
Alejandro Vega-Rios

In this study, polymer blends with a mechanical property balance based on poly(lactic acid) (PLA), stiff polymer, and elongated polymer were developed. First, the binary blends PLA-elongated polymer [ethyl vinyl acetate (EVA) or polyethylene], or PLA-stiff polymer [polystyrene or poly(styrene-co-methyl methacrylate) (SMMA)] blends were studied using dynamic mechanic analysis (DMA) and analyzed using Minitab statistical software to determine the factors influencing the elongation or stiffness of the blends. Then, ternary blends such as elongation-poly(lactic acid)-stiff, were made from the binary blends that presented optimal performance. In addition, three blends [EVA–PLA–SMMA (EPS)] were elaborated by studying the mixing time (5, 15, and 15 min) and the added time of the SMMA (0, 0, and 10 min). Specifically, the mixing time for EPS 1, EPS 2, and EPS 3 is 5 min, 15 min, and 15 min (first EVA + PLA for 10 min, plus 5 min PLA-EVA and SMMA), respectively. Mechanical, thermal, rheological, and morphological properties of the blends were studied. According to DMA, the results show an increase in elongation at break (εb) and do not decrease the elastic module of poly(lactic acid). Nevertheless, EPS 3 excels in all properties, with an εb of 67% and modulus of elasticity similar to PLA. SMMA has a significant role as a compatibilizing agent and improves PLA processability.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document