Preparation and characterization of degradable composite materials

Increasing volumes of synthetic polymers are manufactured for various applications, a way to address the problem of the polymer waste is by adding natural occurring polymers to a synthetic polymeric matrix. In this work, it was possible to extrude films of polyethylene (PE) with poly(lactic acid) (PLA) at any weight ratio; however, a range of 10 to 50 wt[%] PLA was selected. The results of tensile strength tests demonstrated a strong interaction of the chains of PE and poly (lactic acid) in the presence of 5 wt[%] of compatibilizer. Thermal analysis showed an improvement in thermal stability of the compatibilized films. SEM images showed a smooth and homogeneous surface in the films, regardless of the presence of the compatibilizer. The sensitivity to temperature, relative humidity, and solar radiation was evaluated for the films containing a 50 wt[%] of PLA in the polymeric matrix of PE; this was done through solar degradation experiments.