Thermal analysis applied to the characterization of degradation in soil of polylactide : I. Calorimetric and viscoelastic analyses

• An accelerated soil burial test has been performed on a commercial polylactide (PLA) for simulating non-controlled disposal. Degradation in soil promotes physical and chemical changes in polylactide properties, which can be characterized by Thermal Analysis techniques. Physical changes occurred in polylactide due to the degradation in soil were evaluated by correlating their calorimetric and viscoelastic properties. It is highly remarkable that each calorimetric scan offers specific and enlightening information. Degradation in soil affects the polylactide chains reorganization. A multimodal melting behavior is observed for buried PLA, degradation in soil also promotes the enlarging the lamellar thickness distribution of the population with bigger average size. Morphological changes due to degradation in soil lead to an increase in the free volume of the polylactide chains in the amorphous phase that highly affected the bulk properties. Thermal Analysis techniques provide reliable indicators of the degradation stage of polylactide induced by degradation in soil, as corroborated by molecular weight analysis. © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Ämnesord

TEKNIK OCH TEKNOLOGIER  -- Kemiteknik -- Polymerteknologi (hsv//swe)

ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY  -- Chemical Engineering -- Polymer Technologies (hsv//eng)

Nyckelord

Degradation in soil

Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC)

Dynamic-Mechanical-Thermal Analysis (DMTA)

Free volume

Lamellar thickness distribution

Polylactide (PLA)

Amorphous phase

Average size

Bulk properties

Chemical change

Lamellar thickness

Melting behavior

Molecular weight analysis

Morphological changes

Multi-modal

Physical changes

Poly lactide

Polylactides

Soil burial test

Thermal analysis

Thermal analysis techniques

Viscoelastic analysis

Viscoelastic properties

Degradation

Differential scanning calorimetry

Dynamic mechanical analysis

Dynamics

Polymer blends

Soils

Thermoanalysis

Thickness control

Soil testing

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