Study on toughening modification of PBAT and PLA and their composites

Purpose Polylactic acid (PLA), as a widely sourced and environmentally friendly green and low-carbon material, has a life cycle that is friendly to the environment and possesses excellent characteristics such as good biodegradability, plasticity and excellent processing properties. It is regarded as the most promising and widely applicable perfect substitute for petroleum-based plastic materials. However, unmodified PLA materials have defects such as poor toughness, brittleness and lack of elasticity, which limit their commercial promotion. Therefore, modifying PLA materials has become a necessary means to expand their application scope. Design/methodology/approach In this work, PLA was selected as the base material, and PBAT was used as the toughening material to prepare a PLA composite material with excellent mechanical properties while maintaining the original degradation performance. At the same time, ADR 4370 was chosen as the chain extender, and the PBAT/PLA composite material was prepared by melt blending and hot pressing. Further improvements were made to the comprehensive performance of the PLA composite material. Findings The PBAT/PLA/ADR composite material exhibited excellent mechanical properties and thermal stability. This study was conducive to promoting the wide application of PBAT and alleviating the serious problem of plastic pollution. Originality/value By using the chain extender ADR 4370, the compatibility between PBAT and PLA was improved, and the comprehensive performance of the PBAT/PLA composite material was enhanced. As a result, a new type of biodegradable PBAT/PLA composite material was prepared.