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BIODEGRADABLE POLY(LACTIC ACID)/MULTIWALLED CARBON NANOTUBE NANOCOMPOSITES FABRICATION USING CASTING AND HOT PRESS TECHNIQUES

Abdalla Abdal-hay, Seok Geun Park, G.T. Abdel-Jaber, Jae Kyoo Lim

Biodegradable advanced polymer nanocomposites have recently received a large amount of attention. The present study aimed to design poly(lactic acid) multiwalled carbon nanotube nanocomposites (PLA/MWCNTs) using a simple fabrication technique. A PLA sheet was first dissolved in dichloromethane, and MWCNTs were subsequently added at various concentrations (0.5, 1.5 and 5%) while applying shear strain stirring to achieve dispersion of carbon nanotubes (CNTs). These solutions were then molded and a hot press was used to generate sheets free of voids with free entrapped solvent. The results showed that a very good dispersion of MWCNTs in a PLA matrix could be observed. Further, the composite samples illustrated free of defects and voids, indicating that the hot press is capable of generating sufficiently compact polymer matrices. The investigation of the (fracture-) mechanical properties resulted in an increase of strength and Young’s modulus at a nanotube content of both 0.5 and 1.5 wt%. Collectively, our results suggest that incorporation of CNTs as nano-fillers into biodegradable polymers may have multiple applications in many different sectors.