Preparation and Characterization of Biodegradable PLA/PCL Polymeric Blends

In this study, blends of biodegradable Poly (lactic acid) (PLA) and Polycaprolactone (PCL), were prepared using Hakee Rheomix and characterized for rheological, thermal, mechanical and viscoelastic properties. Morphology of tensile fractured surfaces was examined through scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The blends of PLA/PCL exhibited an increase in percentage of elongation, impact toughness, loss factor and decrease in strength and modulus, when compared to that of neat PLA. Among the various blend proportions considered in this work, 80/20% PLA/PCL blend exhibited the highest elongation and impact strength. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) showed the influence of PCL content on glass transition temperature (Tg), melting temperature and degree of crystallinity of PLA/PCL blends.