Dielectric Biodegradable Biopolymer-Based Graphene Nanocomposites for Use in the Packaging Industry and Capacitor Application

In this study, polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) and polylactic acid (PLA)-Graphene (G) nanocomposite films were synthesized by taking different concentrations of G via the solution casting process, and their structural, mechanical, opacity, thermal and dielectric properties were examined for the first time. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was used for investigating surface morphology. Films containing graphene were more opaque than films without graphene. The incorporation of graphene into the polymer matrix improved the mechanical property. The tensile strengths of the control PHA/PLA film and the graphene-reinforced 1 %G-PHA/PLA nanocomposite films were 18.98 and 24.34 MPa, respectively. Thermogravimetric analysis results showed that PHA/PLA-G nanocomposites had good thermal stability below 300 degrees C. Considering the dielectric measurements, it is seen that the dielectric constant (epsilon) and dielectric loss (epsilon") decreased with increasing frequency and less changed at higher frequencies. The developer feature of graphene is remarkable in both parameters. The electrical conductivity of PHA/PLA-G nanocomposites was also examined as a function of frequency at room temperature. As the amount of G increased from 1 %wt to 5 %wt, the conductivity of the composites increased.