Crazing Effect on the Bio-Based Conducting Polymer Film

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Environmental Science
• Biotechnology

Background:

• Polymer waste poses a significant environmental pollution challenge.
• Enzymes are crucial for enhancing polymer biodegradability.
• Previous work involved preparing antistatic poly(lactic acid)/polyaniline (PLA/PAni) films.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the effect of a crazing technique on the enzymatic biodegradation of PLA/PAni films.
• To evaluate the structural and mechanical changes induced by crazing.
• To quantify the improvement in biodegradability due to crazing.

Main Methods:

• Preparation of PLA/PAni polymer films.
• Application of a crazing technique to induce microstructural changes.
• Evaluation of crazes using optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy (SEM).
• Mechanical testing including tensile strength, Young's modulus, and tensile strain.
• Enzymatic biodegradation tests measuring weight loss over time.

Main Results:

• Crazing introduced lamellar and fibrillar microcracks in the PLA/PAni film.
• Crazed films showed comparable tensile strength but a reduced Young's modulus (651 MPa vs 1113 MPa) and increased tensile strain (150%).
• Enzymatic degradation resulted in 42% weight loss for crazed films compared to 31% for non-crazed films.
• Craze propagation increased polymer chain mobility and reduced entanglement.

Conclusions:

• The crazing technique significantly enhances the enzymatic biodegradability of PLA/PAni films.
• Crazes increase surface area and accessibility for enzymatic attack, leading to accelerated degradation.
• This approach offers a promising strategy for managing polymer waste pollution.