Related Experiment Video
Updated: Feb 2, 2026

Comprehensive Compositional Analysis of Plant Cell Walls Lignocellulosic biomass Part I: Lignin
Published on: March 11, 2010
Thermal and Mechanical Properties of Silica⁻Lignin/Polylactide Composites Subjected to Biodegradation
Aleksandra Grząbka-Zasadzińska1, Łukasz Klapiszewski2, Sławomir Borysiak3
1Institute of Chemical Technology and Engineering, Faculty of Chemical Technology, Poznan University of Technology, Berdychowo 4, PL-60965 Poznan, Poland. aleksandra.grzabka-zasadzinska@put.poznan.pl.
Abstract:
In this paper, silica⁻lignin hybrid materials were used as fillers for a polylactide (PLA) matrix. In order to simulate biodegradation, PLA/hybrid filler composite films were kept in soil of neutral pH for six months. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) allowed analysis of nonisothermal crystallization behavior of composites, thermal analysis provided information about their thermal stability, and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was applied to define morphology of films. The influence of biodegradation was also investigated in terms of changes in mechanical properties and color of samples. It was found that application of silica⁻lignin hybrids as fillers for PLA matrix may be interesting not only in terms of increasing thermal stability, but also controlled biodegradation. To the best knowledge of the authors, this is the first publication regarding biodegradation of PLA composites loaded with silica⁻lignin hybrid fillers.
Related Concept Videos
Physical and Chemical Properties of Matter
Classifying Matter by Composition
According to its composition, the matter can be classified into two broad categories — pure substances and mixtures.
A pure substance is a form of matter that has a constant composition throughout with uniform properties. For example, any sample of sucrose has the same composition and same physical properties, such as melting point, color, and sweetness, regardless of the source from which it is isolated.
A mixture is composed of two or...
General Properties of Solutions
Thermal expansion and Thermal stress: Problem Solving
To solve the problem, first, identify the known and unknown quantities. The initial length (L) of the bridge is 1275 m, the coefficient of linear expansion (α) for steel is 12 x 10-6/°C, and the change in temperature (ΔT) is 55...
Cable Subjected to Its Own Weight
A generalized loading function is employed to analyze a cable subjected to its own weight. This function considers the force acting along the cable's arc length rather than its projected length, providing a more accurate...
Thermal Strain

