Reinforcement of plasticized poly (lactic acid) with titanium dioxide nanofiller
The study aimed to investigate the reinforcement of plasticized poly(lactic acid) (PLA)with titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanofiller. In this research, solvent casting andthermocompression methods are adopted to prepare PLA nanocomposites withdifferent percentages of TiO2 at 0.5, 2.0, 3.5, 5.0, and 7.0 %?...
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| Format: | thesis |
| Language: | eng |
| Published: |
2021
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://ir.upsi.edu.my/detailsg.php?det=5708 |
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| Summary: | The study aimed to investigate the reinforcement of plasticized poly(lactic acid) (PLA)with titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanofiller. In this research, solvent casting andthermocompression methods are adopted to prepare PLA nanocomposites withdifferent percentages of TiO2 at 0.5, 2.0, 3.5, 5.0, and 7.0 %?w/w that dispersed in PLAsolution using a mechanical mixer and ultrasonication technique. The composites werecharacterized using dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA), differential scanningcalorimetry (DSC), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and scanning electronmicroscopy (SEM). Results showed that tributyl citrate (TBC) plasticizer reduced thebrittle failure and increased the flexibility of PLA whilst TiO2 nanofiller improved thecrystallization of PLA composites as evidenced in DSC results at slow scanning rate.The presence of 3.5 %?w/w TiO2 in plasticized PLA increased the glass transitiontemperature (Tg) from 41.75 C to 42.22 C indicating restricted mobility of polymerchains. The storage modulus improved from 2.36 GPa to 2.85 GPa due to the gooddispersion of TiO2 in the polymer matrix, as proven in SEM results. Thermal analysisproved that the crystallinity of PLA increased with the addition of TBC and TiO2 from24.98 % to 36.57 % at optimum loading of 7.0 %w/w and 3.5 %?w/w, respectively.However, agglomeration of nanoparticles was formed at higher filler loading(>3.5 %?w/w), which reduced its properties. TiO2 was distributed uniformly throughoutthe polymer matrix, acted as a reinforcement agent that improved the thermomechanicalproperties and thermal stability of the composites. In conclusion, the incorporation ofplasticizer and nanofiller increased flexibility, improved thermomechanical properties,thermal behavior, and thermal stability of the PLA nanocomposites at optimum7.0 %w/w TBC and 3.5 %?w/w TiO2. The implication of the study is that modificationof PLA in the acquirement of improved flexibility, toughness and strength has potentialin the packaging industry due to PLA biodegradability and compostability. |
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