Influence of bamboo charcoal on soil degradation behavior of PLCL composite films

Bamboo charcoal (BC) was utilized as a modifier to functionalize poly(L-lactide-co-ε-caprolactone) (PLCL) in this research. Five types of BC/PLCL composite films with varying BC content (0.5 wt%, 1.0 wt%, 1.5 wt%, 2.0 wt%, and 2.5 wt%) were fabricated and subjected to degradation studies in soil. The degradation performance of these composite films was assessed by analyzing changes in apparent morphology, micromorphology, mass loss, molecular weight, and mechanical properties after 20, 40, 60, and 80 days of degradation. Results indicated a gradual increase in the degradation level of PLCL over time, accompanied by a decrease in elongation at break from 273.5% to 12.01%. The incorporation of BC was found to decelerate the degradation of PLCL, leading to a delayed degradation process as the proportion of BC increased. This work offers a novel perspective on the application of new biodegradable composite film materials in express packaging and agricultural mulch.