Publication detail

Effect of Selected Commercial Plasticizers on Mechanical, Thermal, and Morphological Properties of Poly(3-hydroxybutyrate)/ Poly(lactic acid)/Plasticizer Biodegradable Blends for Three-Dimensional (3D) Print

MENČÍK, P. PŘIKRYL, R. STEHNOVÁ, I. MELČOVÁ, V. KONTÁROVÁ, S. FIGALLA, S. ALEXY, P., BOČKAJ, J.

Original Title

Effect of Selected Commercial Plasticizers on Mechanical, Thermal, and Morphological Properties of Poly(3-hydroxybutyrate)/ Poly(lactic acid)/Plasticizer Biodegradable Blends for Three-Dimensional (3D) Print

Type

journal article in Web of Science

Language

English

Original Abstract

This paper explores the influence of selected commercial plasticizers structure, which are based on esters of citric acid, on mechanical and thermal properties of Poly(3-hydroxybutyrate)/Poly(lactic acid)/Plasticizer biodegradable blends. These plasticizers were first tested with respect to their miscibility with Poly(3-hydroxybutyrate)/Poly(lactic acid) (PHB/PLA) blends using a kneading machine. PHB/PLA/plasticizer blends in the weight ratio (wt %) of 60/25/15 were then prepared by single screw and corotating meshing twin screw extruders in the form of filament for further three-dimensional (3D) printing. Mechanical, thermal properties, and shape stability (warping effect) of 3D printed products can be improved just by the addition of appropriate plasticizer to polymeric blend. The goal was to create new types of eco-friendly PHB/PLA/plasticizers blends and to highly improve the poor mechanical properties of neat PHB/PLA blends (with majority of PHB) by adding appropriate plasticizer. Mechanical properties of plasticized blends were then determined by the tensile test of 3D printed test samples (dogbones), as well as filaments. Measured elongation at break rapidly enhanced from 21% for neat non-plasticized PHB/PLA blends (reference) to 328% for best plasticized blends in the form of filament, and from 5% (reference) to 187% for plasticized blends in the form of printed dogbones. The plasticizing effect on blends was confirmed by Modulated Differential Scanning Calorimetry. The study of morphology was performed by the Scanning Electron Microscopy. Significant problem of plasticized blends used to be also plasticizer migration, therefore the diffusion of plasticizers from the blends after 15 days of exposition to 110 degrees C in the drying oven was investigated as their measured weight loss. Almost all of the used plasticizers showed meaningful positive softening effects, but the diffusion of plasticizers at 110 degrees C exposition was quite extensive. The determination of the degree of disintegration of selected plasticized blend when exposed to a laboratory-scale composting environment was executed to roughly check the biodegradability.

Keywords

plasticizers; poly(hydroxybutyrate)/poly(lactic); mechanical properties; thermal properties; biodegradable polymeric blends; 3D printing

Authors

MENČÍK, P.; PŘIKRYL, R.; STEHNOVÁ, I.; MELČOVÁ, V.; KONTÁROVÁ, S.; FIGALLA, S.; ALEXY, P., BOČKAJ, J.

Released

3. 10. 2018

Publisher

MDPI

ISBN

1996-1944

Periodical

Materials

Year of study

11

Number

10

State

Swiss Confederation

Pages from

1

Pages to

20

Pages count

20

URL

http://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/11/10/1893

Full text in the Digital Library

http://hdl.handle.net/11012/85364

BibTex

@article{BUT150267,
  author="Přemysl {Menčík} and Radek {Přikryl} and Ivana {Stehnová} and Veronika {Melčová} and Soňa {Kontárová} and Silvestr {Figalla} and Pavol {Alexy}",
  title="Effect of Selected Commercial Plasticizers on Mechanical, Thermal, and Morphological Properties of Poly(3-hydroxybutyrate)/ Poly(lactic acid)/Plasticizer  Biodegradable Blends for Three-Dimensional (3D) Print",
  journal="Materials",
  year="2018",
  volume="11",
  number="10",
  pages="1--20",
  doi="10.3390/ma11101893",
  issn="1996-1944",
  url="http://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/11/10/1893"
}