Influence of clay organic modifier on the thermal-stability of PLA based nanocomposites

Poly(lactic acid) (PLA) is well known for being a promising alternative to petroleum-based materials. Although this polymer has good properties when compared to other biodegradable polymers, it presents some limitations like poor thermal, mechanical resistance and gas barrier. The incorporation of clay minerals has been used as a way to overcome this problem.
Researchers at the University of Minho in Portugal investigated the influence of clay organic modifier and amount (3 and 5%) on PLA thermal stability. Results showed that clay mineral incorporation, mainly D43B enhanced the polymer thermal stability. An article about the research is published in Applied Clay Science.
Click here for an abstract of the article.

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