Biodegradation and mechanical property of polylactic acid/thermoplastic starch blends with poly (ethylene glycol)

The effects of adding poly (ethylene glycol) (PEG) into polylactic acid/thermoplastic starch blends (PLA/TPS) on the properties were investigated by DSC, SEM and mechanical property-testing. The blends of PLA/TPS blended with increasing content PEG exhibited lower temperature of glass transition (T (g)) and lower temperature of melting (T (m)) as well as higher melt flow index (MFI), which indicates the plasticization and processability of the composites were dramatically improved. The tensile strength, flexural strength and izod impact strength of PLA/TPS (80/20) increased at first and then decreased with increasing content of PEG due to stronger interfacial adhesion. The optimized mechanical property can be obtained for the blend with 3 wt % PEG. The samples containing PEG after soil burial for 5 months showed quicker degradation being accompanied with large weight loss and mechanical properties loss.