Research Information System
Mugla Journal of Science and Technology, vol.5, no.2, pp.91-96, 2019 (Peer-Reviewed Journal)
Most of the plastic materials used in the packaging industry are petroleum-based. These plastics do not decompose in soilfor many years and they lead to increase CO2 in the atmosphere. Biodegradable polymers derived from renewable resourcessuch as polylactic acid (PLA) are considered as promising alternatives to petroleum-based polymers. Although PLA hasattracted attention due to having properties such as biodegradable, environment friendly, and biocompatible, it cannot beused in many applications due to its poor gas barrier properties, low thermal stability, high brittleness, and cost. In thisstudy, in the first step silica was obtained from the rice husk. The obtained silica (5,10 and 20%) were added to PLA solutionscontaining 20% polyethylene glycol (PEG) and the composite films were prepared using solvent casting method. Thethermal and structural properties of the composite films were determined by Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR),Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM), Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA), Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) andWater Absorption Capacity Test. According to results of analysis, the addition of silica to the PLA-PEG films improved thethermal stability and increased the water absorption capacities of films.