Characterization of sweet bamboo (Dendrocalamus asper Backer) kraft pulp filled in poly(lactic acid)/polybutylene succinate blend composite

Abstract

The demand for plastic packaging material has continued to increase worldwide, a phenomenon that had led to more negative impacts on the environment, especially waste pollution issues caused by the petrochemical industry producing plastics and polymers. As a result, this research aimed to study the production of biodegradable packaging by blending polylactic acid (PLA) and polybutylene succinate (PBS) with 5–20% (w/w) sweet bamboo (Dendrocalamus asper Backer) kraft pulp (SKP). Subsequently, several analyses were used to evaluate the biopolymer properties to determine if the composite could be used to produce biodegradable packaging. The addition of SKP 5% (w/w) provided the PLA/PBS composite with the highest thermal and mechanical properties. Furthermore, the effect of a plasticizer was studied by combining 5%, 10%, or 15% (w/w) Mesamoll in the PLA/PBS composite with 5% (w/w) SKP. This addition changed all composite properties and in particular provided good water vapor barrier properties. Finally, this research revealed that SKP plays a role as a nucleating agent in plasticized PLA/PBS composite.