Abstract
Polylactic acid (PLA)/starch fibers were produced by twin screw extrusion of PLA with granular or gelatinized starch/glycerol followed by drawing through a set of winders with an intermediate oven. At 30% starch, fibers drawn 2–5x were highly flexible (elongation 20–100%) while undrawn filaments were brittle (elongation 2–9%). Tensile strength and moduli increased with increasing draw ratio but decreased with increasing starch content. Mechanical properties were better for composites made with gelatinized starch/glycerol than granular starch. In conclusion, orientation greatly increases the flexibility of PLA/starch composites and this may be useful not only in fibers but also possibly in molded articles. Other advantages of starch addition could include fiber softness without added plasticizer, moisture/odor absorbency and as a carrier for active compounds.
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Acknowledgments
The authors would like to thank Brian Jasberg, Gary Grose, Kathy Hornback, Elizabeth Krietemeyer, Kelly Utt, Ashley Maness and Dr. Arthur Thompson for assistance with extrusion and SEM.
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Shogren, R.L., Selling, G. & Willett, J.L. Effect of Orientation on the Morphology and Mechanical Properties of PLA/Starch Composite Filaments. J Polym Environ 19, 329–334 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10924-010-0267-z
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10924-010-0267-z