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Furan-based renewable elastomers as effective tougheners for PLA: Enhanced mechanical properties and water vapor
Xiaojun Ma1, Hongji Wang1, Hanyu Yao1
1School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, State Key Laboratory Incubation Base for Green Processing of Chemical Engineering, Shihezi University, Shihezi 832000, China.
Abstract:
There is a great need for versatile biomass additives sourced from renewable materials to enhance the performance of polylactic acid (PLA) composites. This study introduces a furan-based polyester elastomer called PNF-PBC that is designed to improve the mechanical and water vapor barrier characteristics of PLA. By incorporating PNF-PBC into PLA, the toughness of the PLA/PNF-PBC biocomposites was considerably enhanced through various intermolecular interactions. A 15 wt% PNF-PBC blend with PLA exhibited a 13.6-fold increase in elongation at break, while having a negligible impact on tensile strength. Furthermore, the water vapor barrier performance of PLA/PNF-PBC biocomposites was greatly boosted by a factor of 10 compared to pure PLA, making them highly suitable for food packaging materials. With its versatile properties, we anticipate that this bio-based PLA/PNF-PBC material will significantly expand the range of applications for PLA composites.
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