Abstract
Poly(lactic acid) (PLA) and wheat starch are biodegradable polymers derived from renewable sources. A previous study showed that thermally blending starch and PLA in the presence of methylenediphenyl diisocyanate (MDI) enhanced the mechanical properties of the blends. In this work, blends of PLA with various levels of wheat starch and MDI were hot mixed at 180Β°C then hotβpressure molded at 175Β°C to form test specimens. The blends were characterized for mechanical properties, fracture microstructure, and water absorption. Pure PLA had a tensile strength of 62.7 MPa and elongation of 6.5%. The blend with 45% wheat starch and 0.5 wt % MDI gave the highest tensile strength of about 68 MPa with about 5.1% elongation. The blend with 20% starch and 0.5 wt % MDI had the lowest tensile strength of about 58 MPa with about 5.6% elongation. Dynamic mechanical analysis showed that storage modulus increased and tan Ξ΄ decreased as starch level increased, but almost leveled off when starch level reached 45% or higher. Water absorption of the blends increased significantly with starch content. Yet the blend, if water proofed on its surface, has potential for shortβterm disposable applications. Β© 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 84: 1257β1262, 2002; DOI 10.1002/app.10457