The Impact of Water on Polylactide–Polybutylene Adipate Terephthalate Blends

Blends of polylactide and polybutylene adipate terephthalate of various compositions are obtained by mixing in the melt followed by pressing. The content of PBAT in the blends is 10, 20, and 30 wt %. The effect of water on film samples at a temperature of (22 ± 2)°C is studied for 270 days. After exposure, a change in morphology is detected: turbidity of the samples and the appearance of defects. The thermophysical characteristics before and after hydrolytic degradation are determined by differential scanning calorimetry. The decrease in the cold crystallization temperature in pure PLA and in a sample with a low content of PBAT (10%), as well as the disappearance of the cold crystallization peak at a content of 20 and 30 wt % of PBAT, is shown. The degree of crystallinity of PLA after exposure to water tends to increase from 0 to 16%. Changes in the chemical structure of the mixed samples are monitored by IR spectroscopy.