Preparation and Characterization of Polypropylene Carbonate Bio-Filler (Eggshell Powder) Composite Films

Abstract

In recent years, biodegradable polymer composites have attracted considerable attention due to inadequate and depleting petroleum resources and to replace nonbiodegradable synthetic polymers posing environment problems. In the present work, biodegradable composites based on polypropylene carbonate (PPC)/eggshell powder (ESP) were prepared by the solution-casting method using chloroform as the solvent. Polypropylene carbonate was loaded with 1 to 5 wt% of eggshell powder (particle size < 40 µm). Characterization of the composites was accomplished by Fourier transform-infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis, and morphological studies were carried out by optical microscopy (OM) and scanning electronic microcopy (SEM). The tensile properties of the composite films were found to be higher than those of neat PPC matrix and increased with ESP content up to 4 wt.% and then decreased. This work offers an easy path to manufacture ecofriendly PPC/eggshell powder composite films with improved properties, and reducing, in some cases, the demand for petroleum-based plastics such as polyolefins.