Processing, thermal behavior and tensile properties of pla/thermoplastic starch/montmorillonite nanocomposites

Thermoplastic starch, polylactic acid glycerol and maleic anhydride (MA) were compounded with natural montmorillonite (MMT) through a twin screw extruder to investigate the effects of different loading of MMT on tensile properties and thermal behavior of the nanocomposites. Tensile results showed an increased in modulus, tensile strength and elongation at break. However, beyond 3phr of MMT the modulus of samples decreased because the MMT particles agglomerated. The thermal properties were characterized by using differential scanning calorimeter (DSC). The results showed that MMT increased melting temperature and crystallization temperature of matrix but reduction in glass transition temperature was observed.