Thermal and mechanical properties of polylactic acid (PLA) and bagasse carboxymethyl cellulose (CMCB) composite by adding isosorbide diesters

Abstract

An isosorbide diesters is one of isororbide types used as a plasticizer. The influence of this plasticizer on thermal and mechanical properties of polylactic acid and bagasse carboxymethyl cellulose (PLA/CMCB) composites was studied. PLA was blended with CMCB at 1%wt using various contents of isosorbide diesters (5, 10, 15 and 20%wt of PLA). The differential scanning calorimetric (DSC) and thermogravimetric (TGA) analyses indicated that the increment of isosorbide diesters concentration resulted in decreasing glass transition, melting and decomposition temperatures, as well as the reduction of storage modulus of PLA/CMCB composites. Moreover, the elongation of PLA/CMCB composites was significantly improved with increasing plasticizer content.