With an immense awareness of environmental sustainability, biodegradable poly(lactic acid) (PLA) derived from renewable resources has received growing attention in comparison to the conventional petroleum-based polymers. However, PLA with a certain amount of crystallinity is required for commercial application. On the other hand, the mechanical and barrier properties and biodegradability of PLA are strongly dependent on the crystal morphology and structures, whereas it is challenging to develop high crystallinity. Therefore, formulation and/or process modifications are required.
The goal of the project lies in the development of PLA nanocomposites for food packaging applications with enhanced mechanical and barrier properties in comparison to standard PLA.
The project will focus on the improvement of crystallization rate and overall crystallinity of PLA films using cellulose nanocrystals (CNC) and/or nanofibrils (CNF) as nucleating agents in comparison to standard industrial reference materials. The experimental work will follow two pathways:
