(24c) Polybutylene Adipate Terephthalate-Based Biodegradable Composite Films: Effect of Talc Types on Mechanical and Water Vapor Barrier Properties

The application of biodegradable and biobased plastics is a primary condition in the effective transition towards a circular economy. Plastic commodities primarily used in packaging should be biodegradable and recyclable to avoid the accumulation of plastic material in the environment. Research in the past few decades has led to the commercialization of a number of bio-based, biodegradable, and recyclable polymers. However, bio-based and biodegradable polymers typically have poor mechanical and barrier properties than the non-biodegradable plastic materials they intend to replace. However, this can be improved by adding mineral fillers. Therefore, the present study aims to develop polybutylene adipate terephthalate (PBAT)-based composite films reinforced with 20 wt% of three different types of talc (Jetfine 3CC talc, silane treated talc, and TAL-10000 talc). The morphology of various talc was observed using a scanning electron microscope. The effect of different talc on the mechanical and water barrier properties of PBAT-based films was studied. The addition of 20% talc increased the modulus of the composite films from 56.2 MPa to more than 160 MPa; however, elongation at break decreased significantly. The water vapor permeability of the neat PBAT film was 771.49 g.mil/m².day, which was decreased to 743.08, 615.52, 476.68 g.mil/m².day when 20 wt% TAL-10000 talc, silane treated talc, and Jetfine 3CC talc were added in the composite films, respectively. As the results show, the PBAT-based composite films with improved mechanical and barrier properties have the potential for packaging applications.

Acknowledgements: The authors would like to thank the following for their financial support: i) Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA)/University of Guelph-Bioeconomy for Industrial Uses Research Program (Project Nos. 030486, 030578); ii) OMAFRA-Gryphon’s Leading to the Accelerated Adoption of Innovative Research (LAAIR) Program (Project No. 030416); iii) OMAFRA- Ontario Agri-Food Research Initiative (Project No. 055217); iv) the Ontario Ministry of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade ORF-RE09-078 (Project Nos. 053970, 054345); and v) the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC), Canada Research Chair (CRC) program Project No. 460788.