Title: Thermal, Mechanical and Rheological Behavior of Polycaprolactone and Lignin Blends

Authors: Mousumi Bose

DOI: 10.33599/nasampe/c.22.0065

Abstract: Polycaprolactone (PCL) is a well-known polymer used for biomedical applications. Its application is limited due to its higher cost and poor mechanical properties. This problem can be overcome by blending with lignin, a waste material of paper and pulp industry. Lignin is relatively high strength natural polymer and can be used as an alternative of petroleum-based materials. These biodegradable blends might be used for different applications, such as, food packaging, agricultural films, biomedical products, etc. In this work, PCL/lignin blends were prepared by melt mixing of 5, 10 and 20 wt% of lignin with PCL in a twin-screw extruder. Structural, thermal, mechanical, and rheological behaviors of the blends were evaluated. 10 wt% of lignin contents improved tensile modulus of the blends up to 16% but decreased tensile strength up to 5.7%. Impact strength of PCL was greatly affected on addition of lignin. Thermal stability was evaluated by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and found to deteriorate slightly on addition of lignin. Improved crystallinity of the blends was observed from differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) results. XRD and FTIR studies revealed that there was no new phase formed during blending, but marginal interaction occurred between components. Melt rheology of the blends were also studied at 170 ℃ using parallel plate rheometer and dual-bore capillary rheometer. The power law (n) exponent was less than unity and increased with increasing lignin loading. Decreasing trend of complex melt viscosity with shear rate suggests shear-thinning behavior of the blends and it also gradually decreased for higher lignin content.

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Conference: CAMX 2022

Publication Date: 2022/10/17

SKU: TP22-0000000065

Pages: 14

Price: $28.00