Improved compatibilized TPS/PLA blends: effects of singular and binary compatibilization systems
Thermoplastic starch (TPS) is one of the main biobased and biodegradable candidates to substitute general-purpose petroleum-based polymers used in the packaging industry. However, TPS shows poor mechanical properties, mainly low elongation at break and toughness, restricting its usage in many applic...
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Elsevier
2025-06-01
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| Series: | Carbohydrate Polymer Technologies and Applications |
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| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666893925001574 |
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| author | Soheil Farshbaf Taghinezhad Mohammadreza Mansourieh Amin Abbasi Ian Major Romina Pezzoli |
| author_facet | Soheil Farshbaf Taghinezhad Mohammadreza Mansourieh Amin Abbasi Ian Major Romina Pezzoli |
| author_sort | Soheil Farshbaf Taghinezhad |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Thermoplastic starch (TPS) is one of the main biobased and biodegradable candidates to substitute general-purpose petroleum-based polymers used in the packaging industry. However, TPS shows poor mechanical properties, mainly low elongation at break and toughness, restricting its usage in many applications. Blending TPS with other polymers, such as polylactic acid (PLA), is a common strategy to improve its performance; nonetheless, due to their immiscibility and low physical interaction between the phases, this strategy faces some challenges. Herein, a commercial grade of TPS was melt-mixed with PLA using various non-reactive and reactive compatibilization systems to increase the interfacial interaction of the blend and therefore, improve the mechanical performance. Polybutylene adipate terephthalate (PBAT) and poly(ethylene-co-glycidyl methacrylate) (EGMA) alongside synthesized PLA-grafted-maleic anhydride (MAPLA) and PBAT-grafted-maleic anhydride (MAPBAT) and their combinations were added to TPS/PLA blends. EGMA and MA-grafted compatibilizers were selected due to their ability to react with PLA and TPS on their hydroxyl groups and hence demonstrate reactive compatibilization. The mechanical, morphological, rheological, and thermal properties of these composites were evaluated and compared against each other. Although all the compatibilizers improved the mechanical properties of the TPS/PLA blend, the TPS/PLA/MAPBAT and TPS/PLA/MAPBAT/EGMA systems showed the greatest effect, enhancing the ductile behaviour of the blend and increasing the tensile strain at break from 6 % to 37 % and 73 %, respectively. Morphological studies confirmed that MA-grafted compatibilizers significantly reduced the average dispersed PLA domain diameter decreasing from 1.35 µm in non-compatibilized blends to 0.35 µm in TPS/PLA/MAPBAT/EGMA. The compatibilized TPS/PLA blends also showed enhancements in the thermal properties, more pronounced for samples containing EGMA and MAPBAT. This research is significant in the identification and development of suitable compatibilization systems for various polymeric blends in regard to their application. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-350d438a253542adaa397e31cc115bce |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2666-8939 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-06-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Carbohydrate Polymer Technologies and Applications |
| spelling | doaj-art-350d438a253542adaa397e31cc115bce2025-08-20T03:45:10ZengElsevierCarbohydrate Polymer Technologies and Applications2666-89392025-06-011010081910.1016/j.carpta.2025.100819Improved compatibilized TPS/PLA blends: effects of singular and binary compatibilization systemsSoheil Farshbaf Taghinezhad0Mohammadreza Mansourieh1Amin Abbasi2Ian Major3Romina Pezzoli4PRISM Research Institute, Technological University of the Shannon, Midlands Midwest, Athlone Campus, University Road, N37 HD68 Athlone, Ireland; Applied Polymer Technologies Gateway, Technological University of the Shannon, Midlands Midwest, Athlone Campus, University Road, N37 HD68 Athlone, IrelandPRISM Research Institute, Technological University of the Shannon, Midlands Midwest, Athlone Campus, University Road, N37 HD68 Athlone, Ireland; Applied Polymer Technologies Gateway, Technological University of the Shannon, Midlands Midwest, Athlone Campus, University Road, N37 HD68 Athlone, IrelandPRISM Research Institute, Technological University of the Shannon, Midlands Midwest, Athlone Campus, University Road, N37 HD68 Athlone, Ireland; Applied Polymer Technologies Gateway, Technological University of the Shannon, Midlands Midwest, Athlone Campus, University Road, N37 HD68 Athlone, IrelandPRISM Research Institute, Technological University of the Shannon, Midlands Midwest, Athlone Campus, University Road, N37 HD68 Athlone, Ireland; Applied Polymer Technologies Gateway, Technological University of the Shannon, Midlands Midwest, Athlone Campus, University Road, N37 HD68 Athlone, IrelandPRISM Research Institute, Technological University of the Shannon, Midlands Midwest, Athlone Campus, University Road, N37 HD68 Athlone, Ireland; Applied Polymer Technologies Gateway, Technological University of the Shannon, Midlands Midwest, Athlone Campus, University Road, N37 HD68 Athlone, Ireland; Corresponding author.Thermoplastic starch (TPS) is one of the main biobased and biodegradable candidates to substitute general-purpose petroleum-based polymers used in the packaging industry. However, TPS shows poor mechanical properties, mainly low elongation at break and toughness, restricting its usage in many applications. Blending TPS with other polymers, such as polylactic acid (PLA), is a common strategy to improve its performance; nonetheless, due to their immiscibility and low physical interaction between the phases, this strategy faces some challenges. Herein, a commercial grade of TPS was melt-mixed with PLA using various non-reactive and reactive compatibilization systems to increase the interfacial interaction of the blend and therefore, improve the mechanical performance. Polybutylene adipate terephthalate (PBAT) and poly(ethylene-co-glycidyl methacrylate) (EGMA) alongside synthesized PLA-grafted-maleic anhydride (MAPLA) and PBAT-grafted-maleic anhydride (MAPBAT) and their combinations were added to TPS/PLA blends. EGMA and MA-grafted compatibilizers were selected due to their ability to react with PLA and TPS on their hydroxyl groups and hence demonstrate reactive compatibilization. The mechanical, morphological, rheological, and thermal properties of these composites were evaluated and compared against each other. Although all the compatibilizers improved the mechanical properties of the TPS/PLA blend, the TPS/PLA/MAPBAT and TPS/PLA/MAPBAT/EGMA systems showed the greatest effect, enhancing the ductile behaviour of the blend and increasing the tensile strain at break from 6 % to 37 % and 73 %, respectively. Morphological studies confirmed that MA-grafted compatibilizers significantly reduced the average dispersed PLA domain diameter decreasing from 1.35 µm in non-compatibilized blends to 0.35 µm in TPS/PLA/MAPBAT/EGMA. The compatibilized TPS/PLA blends also showed enhancements in the thermal properties, more pronounced for samples containing EGMA and MAPBAT. This research is significant in the identification and development of suitable compatibilization systems for various polymeric blends in regard to their application.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666893925001574Thermoplastic starchPolylactic acidBlendsCompatibilizer |
| spellingShingle | Soheil Farshbaf Taghinezhad Mohammadreza Mansourieh Amin Abbasi Ian Major Romina Pezzoli Improved compatibilized TPS/PLA blends: effects of singular and binary compatibilization systems Carbohydrate Polymer Technologies and Applications Thermoplastic starch Polylactic acid Blends Compatibilizer |
| title | Improved compatibilized TPS/PLA blends: effects of singular and binary compatibilization systems |
| title_full | Improved compatibilized TPS/PLA blends: effects of singular and binary compatibilization systems |
| title_fullStr | Improved compatibilized TPS/PLA blends: effects of singular and binary compatibilization systems |
| title_full_unstemmed | Improved compatibilized TPS/PLA blends: effects of singular and binary compatibilization systems |
| title_short | Improved compatibilized TPS/PLA blends: effects of singular and binary compatibilization systems |
| title_sort | improved compatibilized tps pla blends effects of singular and binary compatibilization systems |
| topic | Thermoplastic starch Polylactic acid Blends Compatibilizer |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666893925001574 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT soheilfarshbaftaghinezhad improvedcompatibilizedtpsplablendseffectsofsingularandbinarycompatibilizationsystems AT mohammadrezamansourieh improvedcompatibilizedtpsplablendseffectsofsingularandbinarycompatibilizationsystems AT aminabbasi improvedcompatibilizedtpsplablendseffectsofsingularandbinarycompatibilizationsystems AT ianmajor improvedcompatibilizedtpsplablendseffectsofsingularandbinarycompatibilizationsystems AT rominapezzoli improvedcompatibilizedtpsplablendseffectsofsingularandbinarycompatibilizationsystems |