The Degradation of Polylactide/Natural Rubber Nonwoven Fibrous Materials in Soil: Structural Effects

The changes in morphology and structure of polylactide/natural rubber nonwoven fibrous materials after exposure to soil microbiota are studied. Fibrous composite material samples were obtained by electrospinning from solution. The amount of natural rubber was 5–15 wt %. X-ray amorphous structure was revealed by X-ray diffraction in the initial samples and after their degradation in the soil. The morphology of the fibrous materials changed after exposure to soil microbiota: dark spots and defective areas appeared. Thermogravimetric analysis showed that the onset degradation temperatures of all samples and the temperatures of peak maxima shifted to lower temperatures. The changes in chemical structure of the nonwoven fibrous materials were found by IR spectroscopy. Bands appeared at 3500–3000 and 1660–1550 cm^–1, which confirms that the degradation process proceeds in polymeric materials.