Resumo

RODRIGUEZ-FELIX, D. E. et al. Preparación y caracterización de materiales compuestos degradables. Superf. vacío [online]. 2015, vol.28, n.1, pp.18-24. ISSN 1665-3521.

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.

Palavras-chave : polyethylene; Poly (lactic acid); Maleic anhydride; Mechanical properties; Thermogravimetric analysis; Scanning Electron Microscopy.