Effect of Recycling on the Cellular Structure of Polylactide in a Batch Process

The aim of the work is to demonstrate the possibility of using recycled biodegradable material as a cellular material with a reduced weight. An experimental study on the influence of recycling on the properties and foam ability of polylactide (PLA) was carried out. The influence of recycling on the polymer crystallinity, thermal and viscoelastic properties was investigated. During the batch process the cellular structure in PLA and recycled PLA were created. A higher degree of crystallinity, a lower viscosity value and a lower melt strength for recycled PLA, as compared to original material, were observed. For the recycled PLA, a fine cellular structure and low density (0.60 g/cm3) were obtained