Materials Research (Mar 2018)

Soil Biodegradation of PLA/CNW Nanocomposites Modified with Ethylene Oxide Derivatives

  • Gelsoneide da Silva Gois,
  • Michelle Félix de Andrade,
  • Sônia Maria Silva Garcia,
  • Glória Maria Vinhas,
  • Amélia S. F. Santos,
  • Eliton S. Medeiros,
  • Juliano E. Oliveira,
  • Yêda Medeiros Bastos de Almeida

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1590/1980-5373-mr-2016-0960
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 20, no. suppl 2
pp. 899 – 904

Abstract

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Due to its ester bonds, poly(lactic acid) (PLA) undergoes biodegradation in humid environments, attracting market attention. The goal of this work was to observe the biodegradation in garden soil of PLA nanocomposites with neat (PLA/CNW) and surfactant modified cellulose nanowhiskers (PLA/CNW/S). Three types of surfactants were tested: poly(ethylene glycol) monooleate (PEGMONO) and poly(ethylene glycol) with molecular weight of 300 and 1000 Da. The films were obtained by solution casting, cut in strips of (2x2) cm and buried in garden soil, monitoring the temperature and humidity. After 90, 120 and 150 days changes were observed in the films by visual inspection, polarized light microscopy, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The results showed that the addition of surfactant favored the biodegradation of nanocomposites and that PLA/CNW/PEG1000 showed the fastest biodegradation rate.

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