Abstract
PLA-based composites containing CF in the range 0 to 10 wt. % were prepared by melt mixing technique. The prepared composites were investigated in terms of processability, chemical structure (by Attenuated total reflectance - Fourier Transform Infrared - ATR-FT-IR analysis), thermal (Differential Scanning Calorimetry - DSC), optical properties (using UV-Vis spectrometry), barrier and migration in distilled water. Also, the behaviour of PLA based composites at sterilization was performed by examination the changes in their chemical structure. This study shows the feasibility of improving of PLA properties by using cellulose fibres, designed for flexible food packaging.
Keywords: PLA; cellulose fibres; properties; food packaging