Physical-chemical characterization of polypropylene and poly(lactic acid) blends

Abstract

Polymers are macromolecules which have their size, chemical structure, intra and intermolecular interaction as main characteristics. They´re present on our everyday life as much as in industry. Many polymers are produced from cheap and widely available materials, enabling mass production with lower costs than the non-polymeric alternatives costs. One of the many industrial uses for polymers is in manufacture of the fabric known as nonwoven fabric, which has singular characteristics. It can be prepared be absorbent or heat resistant. It can be malleable, soft and waterproof. These properties combined with the low production price make the nonwoven fabrics very appealing on many market areas. The current most used polymer as raw material for nonwoven fabric production is polypropylene, but some biopolymers are replacing standard materials because of theirs similar characteristics and lower production costs. The best possible alternative for polypropylene is the poly lactic acid. This project aims to investigate the addition of poly lactic acid to polypropylene in order to improve physical-chemical properties of the materials used in fabric industry, especially the nonwoven fabrics. One of the many industrial uses for polymers is in manufacture of the fabric known as nonwoven fabric, which has singular characteristics. It can be prepared to absorbent or heat resistant. It can be malleable, soft and waterproof. These properties combined with the low production price make the nonwoven fabrics very appealing on many market areas. The currently most used polymer as raw material for nonwoven fabric production is polypropylene, but some biopolymers are replacing standard materials because of theirs similar characteristics and lower production costs. The best possibility for polypropylene replacement is the poly lactic acid. This project aims to investigate the addition of poly lactic acid in polypropylene by improving physical-chemical properties of the materials used in fabric industry, especially the nonwoven fabrics. (AU)