Here,
solution-cast blends of polylactic acid (PLA) and a novel
bioderived poly(pentamethylene 2,5-furanoate) (PPeF) in variable concentrations
(1–50 wt %) are prepared and investigated. The characterization
of the thin films (thickness 50 μm) highlights that PPeF strongly
improves the UV-shielding properties of PLA, with a decrease in transmittance
at 275 nm from 47.3% of neat PLA to 0.77% with only 1 wt % of PPeF,
while the transmittance decrease in the visible region at these PPeF
fractions is marginal, allowing the production of optically transparent
films. Despite the complete immiscibility of PLA/PPeF blends, PPeF
effectively enhances the ductility of PLA as the tensile strain at
break increases from 7% of neat PLA to 200% of the blend with 30 wt
% of PPeF. This composition is the most promising also from the gas-barrier
point of view as the gas transmission rates of CO2 and
O2 drop to one-fourth of those of neat PLA, comparable
to those of poly(ethylene terephthalate). These results highlight
that PLA/PPeF blends with PPeF fractions of 30 wt % are very promising
for food packaging applications, and their properties could be further
enhanced by applying suitable compatibilizers.
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