Evaluation of the mechanical, thermal, and microstructural behaviour of gum Arabic reinforced polylactide (PLA) composite
Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: Polylactic acid (PLA) is highly regarded among polymeric materials due to its versatile properties, making it suitable for a variety of applications. This study aimed to functionalize pure PLA by blending it with gum Arabic (GA) through electrospinning, a technique recognized for producing nanofibrous materials with enhanced characteristics. The research further assessed the mechanical and microstructural properties of PLA/GA composites using a range of analytical methods, including tensile testing, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and X-ray diffraction (XRD). A thorough analysis of the results indicated that the electrospinning technique successfully produced bead-free nanofibers. The introduction of 5 wt% GA and higher concentrations resulted in a slight increase in the formation of sharp Bragg peaks while significantly reducing the XRD intensity of the PLA/GA composites by approximately 93%, reflecting an overall decrease in the crystallinity of the composite. This reduction notably affected the ultimate tensile strength (UTS), which dropped by around 49% below the 5 wt% GA addition, while ductility experienced an increase of about 78%. Moreover, the incorporation of GA transformed the smooth surface morphology of pure PLA into a rougher texture in the PLA/GA composite across all considered GA concentrations, further indicating a decrease in crystallinity and an increase in the amorphous character of the material.
Language: English
Subfield: Biomaterials
Field: Materials Science
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
OpenAlex ID: W4415954736