Poly(lactic acid) (PLA) and distiller’s
dried grains with
solubles (DDGS) are biobased materials with strong potential for industrial
applications. This paper reports the biodegradation behavior of PLA/DDGS
(80/20 by weight), a composite material developed for use in high-quality,
economical, biodegradable, crop containers for the horticulture industry.
Biodegradation experiments were performed in soil under landscape
conditions. Surface morphology and thermal properties were evaluated
by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), dynamic mechanical analysis
(DMA), and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). We found that
adding 20% DDGS to form the PLA/DDGS composite can accelerate the
biodegradation rate and enhance the storage modulus compared to pure
PLA. The weight loss of the PLA/DDGS composite during 24 weeks of
degradation time was 10.5%, while the weight loss of pure PLA was
only 0.1% during the same time interval. Cracks and voids caused by
erosion and loss of polymer chain length were clearly observed on
the surface of the composite material in response to increasing degradation
time. The thermal stability of the composite increased with increasing
degradation time. The glass transition temperature and melting temperature
increased during early stages of biodegradation (up to 16 weeks) and
then decreased slightly. We confirm that DDGS can function as a cost-effective
biodegradable filler for PLA composites that can provide enhanced
mechanical properties with only slight changes in thermal properties
when compared to pure PLA.
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