ZnO-modified PLA/PBAT composites: a study on mechanical strength and biodegradability for sustainable packaging applications

This investigation reflects the enhanced mechanical as well as degradation features of a blend (PLA/30PBAT) containing 70 wt% of polylactic acid (PLA) and 30 wt% of polybutylene adipate terephthalate (PBAT). The ZnO-modified composites of PLA/PBAT (PLA/30PBAT/2ZnO) were prepared by adding the 2 wt% of ZnO into PLA/30PBAT matrix. Adding ZnO into PLA/PBAT improved the tensile properties such as strength and elongation. The PLA/30PBAT/2ZnO composite shows a 26% increment in the tensile strength as compared to PLA/30PBAT and a 91% improvement in elongation at the break over PLA/30PBAT. Further, PLA/30PBAT/2ZnO composites exhibit 31.2% higher degradation than PLA/30PBAT. Overall, the PLA/30PBAT/2ZnO composite demonstrates a balanced combination of improved mechanical performance and moderate degradability.