PLA and PBAT are degradable materials with relatively stable production capacity and output, and they are also the main development direction in the future. On the other hand, PLA has higher tensile strength and Young’s modulus, but the lowest elongation and poor toughness. Compared with ordinary plastics, PBAT has problems such as poor crystallinity, low melt strength and high price, which limit its application in other fields such as fiber and film materials. In this regard, many scholars have studied the application of inorganic materials such as calcium carbonate, talcum powder, and montmorillonite to degradable plastics to improve the processing performance of products, reduce production costs, and broaden their scope and field of application.
Calcium Carbonate
CaCO3 is one of the most widely used inorganic fillers in the plastics industry. Nano-CaCO3 particles have the characteristics of small size, large specific surface area, and highly activated surface atoms. They have strong interfacial interactions with polymers, which can toughen and strengthen polymers, making plastic-based plastic/nanocomposites The material has the comprehensive advantages of inorganic, organic and nanomaterials and is widely used in plastic filling modification.
Talcum Powder
Talc powder has superior properties such as high melting point and good dispersibility, and its price is low. Adding talc powder to biodegradable plastics can increase the rigidity, heat distortion temperature, dimensional stability, surface hardness, etc. of the material; at the same time, ultrafine talc powder can also be used as an inorganic nucleating agent for polylactic acid (PLA). Fine talc powder can increase the crystallinity and crystallization rate of polylactic acid, and greatly improve its mechanical properties. Using it for PBS filling can effectively improve the thermal stability and mechanical properties of PBS, and can effectively reduce production costs.
Montmorillonite
Montmorillonite is a layered silicate with rich sources, low price, certain expansion properties and large surface area. Performance and barrier properties have been greatly improved.
In the future, it is an ideal and sustainable strategy to strengthen the research and development of new varieties, further study the application of inorganic materials, and develop low-cost, high-performance biodegradable polymers and their composites.