Parallel advances in improving mechanical properties and accelerating degradation to polylactic acid

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Polymer Science
• Biocomposites

Background:

• Polylactic acid (PLA) exhibits excellent mechanical properties but suffers from slow degradation rates.
• Developing PLA-based materials with enhanced mechanical performance and faster degradation is crucial for broader applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop polylactic acid/wood flour/polymethylmethacrylate (PLA/WF/PMMA) composites with improved mechanical properties and accelerated degradation.
• To investigate the effect of wood flour particle size on the composite's performance.

Main Methods:

• Composites were prepared using melt blending with PLA as the matrix, WF, and PMMA.
• Characterization included FTIR, DSC, melting index, and mechanical property testing.
• Hydrolysis degradation was assessed via contact angle, water absorption, and hydrolysis tests.

Main Results:

• Wood flour (WF) with a particle size between 150-180 μm yielded optimal improvements in mechanical properties.
• Tensile strength, flexural modulus, and Young's modulus of PLA/WF/PMMA (150-180 μm) increased by 10.02%, 37.21%, and 32.80% respectively, compared to neat PLA.
• PMMA and WF synergistically accelerated the hydrolysis degradation of PLA.

Conclusions:

• PLA/WF/PMMA composites offer a promising solution for enhancing PLA's mechanical properties and degradation rate.
• Optimized WF particle size is key to achieving superior composite performance.
• Simultaneous improvement in mechanical strength and degradation rate significantly expands potential applications for PLA-based materials.