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

摘要

This paper examines the effect of biobased chitin nanowhisker fillers on the thermal, rheological, physical, mechanical and morphological properties of biobased poly-lactic 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 CO_2 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.