Effect of Cooling Air in the Film Blowing Process on the Properties of PLA/PBAT Films

Abstract

Poly(lactide) (PLA) and poly(butylene-adipate-co-terephthalate) (PBAT) blends are among the most promising biodegradable materials for flexible packaging applications and the film blowing is one of the most common techniques to make plastic films. In this work, a study on the effect of the cooling air during the production process of blown films made by compatibilized PLA/PBAT blend has been performed. The application of cooling air has led to a significant reduction of the thermal shrinkage of the films in the transverse direction, respect to the machine direction, and has been beneficial in order to improve their mechanical and optical properties.