title: Bionanocomposite films based on plasticized PLA-PHB/cellulose nanocrystal blends.
abstract: Optically transparent plasticized poly(lactic acid) (PLA) based bionanocomposite films intended for food packaging were prepared by melt blending. Materials were plasticized with 15wt% of acetyl(tributyl citrate) (ATBC) to improve the material processability and to obtain flexibile films. Poly(hydroxybutyrate) (PHB) was used to increase PLA crystallinity. The thermal stability of the PLA-PHB blends was improved by the addition of 5 wt% of cellulose nanocrystals (CNC) or modified cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) synthesized from microcrystalline cellulose. The combination of ATBC and cellulose nanocrystals, mainly the better dispersed CNCs, improved the interaction between PLA and PHB. Thus, an improvement on the oxygen barrier and stretchability was achieved in PLA-PHB-CNCs-ATBC which also displayed somewhat UV light blocking effect. All bionanocomposite films presented appropriate disintegration in compost suggesting their possible applications as biodegradable packaging materials.
authors: Instituto de Tecnología de Materiales, Universitat Politècnica de Valencia, 03801 Alcoy-Alicante, Spain.
authors: M P
authors: MP
authors: Arrieta
authors: Materials Engineering Centre, UdR INSTM, NIPLAB, University of Perugia, 05100 Terni, Italy. Electronic address: elena.fortunati@unipg.it.
authors: E
authors: E
authors: Fortunati
authors: Materials Engineering Centre, UdR INSTM, NIPLAB, University of Perugia, 05100 Terni, Italy.
authors: F
authors: F
authors: Dominici
authors: Instituto de Tecnología de Materiales, Universitat Politècnica de Valencia, 03801 Alcoy-Alicante, Spain.
authors: J
authors: J
authors: López
authors: Materials Engineering Centre, UdR INSTM, NIPLAB, University of Perugia, 05100 Terni, Italy; Institute of Polymer Science and Technology, CSIC, Juan de la Cierva 3, Madrid 28006, Spain.
authors: J M
authors: JM
authors: Kenny
mesh_terms: D063566:Biodegradable Plastics / Q000737:chemistry*; D002482:Cellulose / Q000737:chemistry*; D019344:Lactic Acid / Q000737:chemistry*; D053758:Nanoparticles / Q000737:chemistry*; D011091:Polyesters / Q000737:chemistry*; D011108:Polymers / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D063566:Biodegradable Plastics; D011091:Polyesters; D011108:Polymers; C107955:poly(4-hydroxybutanoate); D019344:Lactic Acid; C033616:poly(lactide); D002482:Cellulose
keywords: Blends; Cellulose nanocrystals; Nanocomposites; Plasticizer; Poly(hydroxybutyrate); Poly(lactic acid)