Preparation and foaming behavior of poly (lactic acid)/poly (butylene succinate)/cellulose fiber composite for hot cups packaging application

This research aims to prepare foamed hot cups and lids from cellulose fiber (CF)-reinforced biodegradable poly (lactic acid) (PLA) and poly (butylene succinate) (PBS) blend composites for improved strength and thermal resistance. The effects of adding cellulose on physical, chemical, thermal, and mechanical properties of PLA/PBS/CF were investigated. The composite foams were prepared by twin screw extruder. The results revealed that the viscosity decreased as cellulose fiber was added. All the prepared composites show a shear thinning phenomenon, which is caused by orientation of fibers in the flow direction. A lower content of the CF in the PLA/PBS matrix manifested itself by lower melt viscosity in the whole range of shear rates. The tensile strength, tensile modulus, and percentage of elongation at break increased when the amount of added cellulose fiber increased. The crystallinity of composite foams analyzed by X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) showed higher degree of crystallinity when adding cellulose fiber. The thermal degradation temperature of PLA/PBS/CF composites measured by Thermal Gravimetric Analysis (TGA) showed higher than PLA. The conclusion of this research is that adding cellulose fiber 15 phr improved mechanical and thermal properties.