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ARS Home » Midwest Area » Peoria, Illinois » National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research » Functional Foods Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #252962

Title: Degradation of Poly(L-Lactic acid) and Biocomposites in various Alkaline and Temperature Treatments

Author
item Tisserat, Brent
item Finkenstadt, Victoria

Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 6/19/2010
Publication Date: 12/20/2010
Citation: Tisserat, B., Finkenstadt, V.L. 2010. Degradation of Poly(L-Lactic acid) and Biocomposites in various Alkaline and Temperature Treatments. Meeting Abstract. 00:000-000.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Ribbons of poly(lactic acid) (PLA) and PLA containing 10 or 25 % Osage orange (OO) biocomposites of various sized heartwood particles were exposed to soil conditions either outdoors or in a greenhouse. No appreciable degradation was evident even after 200 days treatments. An artificial alkaline degradation test system was developed to reduce the study time required to evaluate PLA compositional properties on degradation. Ribbons of PLA and PLA-OO biocomposites of various sized particles were subjected to hydrolysis in alkaline concentrations (0, 0.05, 0.1, 0.15, and 0.25 M NaOH) under various temperatures (15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40, and 80 oC) up to 56 days. Higher concentrations of NaOH (e.g., 0.25 M) caused more dramatic and rapid deterioration of PLA and PLA-OO composites than lower NaOH concentrations for all temperatures tested. Incubation in either the low temperatures (15 and 20 oC) or the highest temperature (80 oC) was consistently more effective in PLA-OO degradation than employing 35 or 40 oC. Several alkaline and temperature test combinations are offered to study accelerated PLA degradation. Ribbons immersed NaOH were examined via the scanning electron microscope to analyze for morphology alterations.