Physical, barrier and thermal properties of polylactic acid (PLA)/layered silicate nanocomposite membranes

PLA-based Nanocomposites containing different amounts of C20A were prepared using a solvent casting method and their physical, thermal, barrier and structural properties were examined. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) has determined that the glass transition temperature (Tg) and degree of crystallinity (c%) were significantly influenced by the presence of C20A. Tg of neat PLA was 53.83 °C which with the addition of 3, 5 and 7 percent of C20A, increased to 57.55, 59.16 and 60.48 °C, respectively. The water vapor permeability (WVP) of the nanocomposites compared to neat PLA was reduced by approximately 12-50 % by adding 3-7% C20A. AFM images were used to evaluate the surface morphology (qualitative parameter) and roughness (quantitative parameter) of PLA films. Neat PLA had smoother surfaces and a lower roughness parameter (Sa). This study indicates that PLA/nanoclay composites could be used for packaging and other applications

Physical, barrier and thermal properties of polylactic acid (PLA)/layered silicate nanocomposite membranes Keywords:

PLA , Nanoclay , nanocomposite film , Physical property , thermal properties , AFM