Phosphorylation/caproylation of cornstarch to improve its adhesion to PLA and cotton fibers

To investigate the influence of phosphorylation/caproylation on the adhesion of cornstarch to polylactic acid (PLA) and cotton fibers for improving its applications, such as in PLA and cotton sizing, herein, a series of phosphorylated and caproylated cornstarch (PCS) samples with different total degrees of substitution (DS) were synthetized by the phosphorylation of acid-converted cornstarch (ACS) with sodium tripolyphosphate (STP) and subsequent caproylation with caproic anhydride (CA). The PCS granules were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy. The adhesion was evaluated by determining the bonding forces of the impregnated PLA and cotton roving. The results of the adhesion measurements were also analyzed, especially for the wetting and spreading of the pastes on the fiber surfaces as well as the failure type and internal stress of the adhesive layers among the fibers. In addition, the viscosity stabilities of the pastes were determined. The results showed that phosphorylation/caproylation was capable of obviously improving the adhesion of starch to PLA and cotton fibers. As the total DS increased, the bonding forces gradually increased. The two substituents improved the wetting and spreading, reduced the internal stress, lowered the layer brittleness, and decreased the probabilities of interfacial failure and cohesive failure, thereby favoring the improvement of the adhesion. The PCS samples with stabilities above 85% could meet the stability requirement for sizing. Based on the experimental results of the adhesion and the analysis of the results, it can be concluded that PCS shows potential for applications in PLA and cotton sizing.