TY - JOUR
T1 - Improved compatibilized TPS/PLA blends: effects of singular and binary compatibilization systems
AU - Taghinezhad, Soheil Farshbaf
AU - Mansourieh, Mohammadreza
AU - Abbasi, Amin
AU - Major, Ian
AU - Pezzoli, Romina
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2025 The Authors
PY - 2025/6
Y1 - 2025/6
N2 - 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.
AB - 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.
KW - Blends
KW - Compatibilizer
KW - Polylactic acid
KW - Thermoplastic starch
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=105004213069&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.carpta.2025.100819
DO - 10.1016/j.carpta.2025.100819
M3 - Article
SN - 2666-8939
VL - 10
JO - Carbohydrate Polymer Technologies and Applications
JF - Carbohydrate Polymer Technologies and Applications
M1 - 100819
ER -