Mechanical properties and biodegradability of poly-ε-caprolactone/soy protein isolate blends compatibilized by coconut oil

This study was performed for the mechanical properties, adhesion properties and biodegradability depending on the coconut oil content based on poly-epsilon-caprolactone (PCL):soy protein isolate (SPI) blends. Coconut oil was capable of forming the PCL:SPI blend. Tensile strength (TS) of the blend decreased and elongation at break (EAB) increased when the concentration of coconut oil increased. Lap shear strength of all samples was observed in the values of the general formulated hot-melt but in particularly, high adhesive strength was shown at 20 mL of coconut oil. The improvement of surface hydrophilicity and biodegradation resulted from the addition of SPI rather than coconut oil. Consequently, coconut oil acted as a plasticizer and compatibilizer although it did not enhance in biodegradation and surface hydrophilicity. (c) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.