17975

Mechanical and microstructural properties of PLLA / TPS / gelatin extruded sheets

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Poly (L- lactic acid) (PLLA) and thermoplastic starch (TPS) have been largely applied in the biodegradable packaging development in order to reduce residues generated from traditional packaging. Besides these biopolymers gelatin is also an interesting biomaterial for the production of sheets by extrusion. In this work, blends of PLLA, TPS (glycerol as plasticizer) and different concentrations of gelatin (0, 1, 3 and 5wt% in relation to TPS) were produced in a twin-screw co-rotating extruder coupled to a roll laminator. sheets mechanical properties were determined in texture analyzer and their microstructure by Scanning Electron Microscopy. The formulations without and with 5wt% of gelatin showed smoother surfaces. The intermediate formulations showed porous surface with non- plasticized starch granules. The fracture of all produced films showed voids in the structure. In general, the addition of gelatin at the sheets leaded to a hardness and tensile strength reduction.