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Extrusion of polypropylene/chitosan/poly(lactic‐acid) films: Chemical, mechanical, and thermal properties
Author(s) -
QuirozCastillo Jesús M.,
RodríguezFélix Dora E.,
RomeroGarcía Jorge,
MaderaSantana Tomás J.,
EncinasEncinas José C.,
CastilloOrtega María M.,
CabreraGermán Dagoberto,
LizárragaLaborín Lauren L.
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
journal of applied polymer science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.575
H-Index - 166
eISSN - 1097-4628
pISSN - 0021-8995
DOI - 10.1002/app.49850
Subject(s) - extrusion , polypropylene , materials science , plasticizer , polymer , chitosan , maleic anhydride , composite material , biodegradable polymer , reactive extrusion , polylactic acid , chemical engineering , polymer chemistry , copolymer , engineering
Development of extruded films composed of biopolymers blended with synthetic polymers aims to minimize the environmental impact of plastic waste‐materials and lead to the sustainable plastic industry. To produce biodegradable polymeric blends, the weight content of biopolymers must be maximum without compromising the performance properties of the extruded films. Using a solvent‐free extrusion method, films composed of polypropylene, poly(lactic‐acid), and Chitosan, can be obtained with the use of polypropylene‐graft‐maleic anhydride and glycerol as compatibilizer and plasticizer, respectively. Extruded films with up to a 50 wt% content of biopolymers show acceptable thermal and mechanical properties, where the use of compatibilizer improves the processing characteristics and homogeneous distribution of chitosan throughout the films. Therefore, the extruded films can be considered as alternatives to conventional synthetic‐polymer films, due to their acceptable mechanical and thermal properties with direct potential applications in extrusion‐method mass production of biodegradable polymers.