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Fabrication and Characterization of PLA/PHBV-Chitin Nanocomposites and Their Foams

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Abstract

This paper examines the effect of biobased chitin nanowhisker fillers on the thermal, rheological, physical, mechanical and morphological properties of biobased polylactic acid (PLA) and PLA/polyhydroxybutyrate-co-valerate (PHBV) blended nanocomposites as well as the physical, mechanical and morphological properties of porous PLA and PLA/PHBV nanocomposite foams. Solid nanocomposites of PLA, PLA/PHBV and chitin nanowhiskers were manufactured through melt blending while porous nanocomposites foams were fabricated through a batch foaming process with the aid of CO2 as blowing agent. It was found that by incorporating small quantities of chitin nanowhiskers (<2 wt%) the mechanical properties of solid specimens are improved while strength and expandability of the foam can be significantly improved, yielding a homogenously distributed cell morphology with average cell size of 1.5 μm.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Toronto, 5 King’s College Road, Toronto, ON, M5S 3G8, Canada

    Qi Guan & Hani E. Naguib

  2. Department of Material Science and Engineering, University of Toronto, 5 King’s College Road, Toronto, ON, M5S 3G8, Canada

    Qi Guan & Hani E. Naguib

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  1. Qi Guan
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  2. Hani E. Naguib
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Correspondence to Hani E. Naguib.

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Guan, Q., Naguib, H.E. Fabrication and Characterization of PLA/PHBV-Chitin Nanocomposites and Their Foams. J Polym Environ 22, 119–130 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10924-013-0625-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10924-013-0625-8

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