Journal of Applied Polymer Science
Journal of Applied Polymer Science
5 years ago

Biopolymer foams from Novatein thermoplastic protein and poly(lactic acid)

Biopolymer foams from Novatein thermoplastic protein and poly(lactic acid)
Mark Christopher Lay, Anuradha Sammanie Walallavita, Casparus Johannes Reinhard Verbeek
A batch processing method is used to fabricate foams comprising of a blend of poly(lactic acid) (PLA) and Novatein, a protein-based thermoplastic. Various compositions of Novatein/PLA are prepared with and without a compatibilizer, PLA grafted with itaconic anhydride (PLA-g-IA). Pure Novatein cannot form a cellular structure at a foaming temperature of 80 °C, however, in a blend with 50 wt % of PLA, microcells form with smaller cell sizes (3.36 µm) and higher cell density (8.44 × 1021 cells cm−3) compared to pure PLA and blends with higher amounts of PLA. The incorporation of 50 wt % of semicrystalline Novatein stiffens the amorphous PLA phase, which restrains cell coalescence and cell collapse in the blends. At a foaming temperature of 140 °C, NTP30–PLA70 shows a unique interconnected porous morphology which can be attributed to the CO2-induced plasticization effect. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2017, 134, 45561.

Publisher URL: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/resolve/doi

DOI: 10.1002/app.45561

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