Enhancing compatibility between poly(lactic acid) and thermoplastic starch using admicellar polymerization

摘要

An alternative method to improve the compatibility between poly(lactic acid) (PLA) and cassava starch (CS) is proposed and investigated. Admicellar polymerization is used to modify the surface of CS with poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) in order to make it more hydrophobic and hence more compatible with PLA. The increased hydrophobicity of PMMA modified cassava starch (MS) is validated by contact angle measurement. Results from iodine test, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) confirm the formation of PMMA film on MS surface. Mechanical properties of PLA-CS and PLA-MS blends are investigated to compare their compatibility. Noticeable improvements in blend tensile strength and elongation at break evidently show that MS is more hydrophobic as well as more compatible with PLA than CS. (C) 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.