Polymer Science Commons^™

Polylactic Acid (Pla) Containing Talc Microparticles And Amorphous Polyhydroxyalkanoates (Aphas) For Improved Barrier And Mechanical Properties In Food Packaging, Mohammed Alfaifi

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Polylactic acid (PLA) is a biobased and compostable polymer that is increasingly being used as an alternative to petroleum-based, non-biodegradable polymers for single-use food packaging due to its environmental benefits. It is also commercially available in large quantities, and it can be processed like polyethylene. However, it has a higher water-vapor permeability (WVP) as compared to polyolefins and polyethylene terephthalate that are the incumbent materials. This results in a competitive disadvantage in employing PLA for packaging baked goods since the shelf life of the food is likely to be reduced. In the past, barrier properties of PLA were improved by …

Characterization Of Mechanically Recycled Polylactic Acid (Pla) Filament For 3d-Printing By Evaluating Mechanical, Thermal, And Chemical Properties And Process Performance, Mahsa Shabani Samghabady

All Theses

Polylactic acid (PLA) is a biopolymer made from renewable resources such as sugar and corn. PLA filament is a popular material used in Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) 3D-printing. While this material has many advantages, all the failed parts, support structures, rafts, nozzle tests, and the many prototype iterations during the 3D-printing process contribute to the plastic pollution and release of greenhouse gases. Although PLA is biodegradable, it can take years to degrade in landfills. Instead of throwing away PLA waste and buying new filaments, PLA can be recycled. Amongst the different recycling technologies, mechanical recycling is the most environmentally friendly. …

Solid-State Shear Pulverization: A Comprehensive Study On Polymer Processing Technology From A Systematic Innovation Perspective, Tyler A. Will

Master’s Theses

Solid-state shear pulverization (SSSP) is a continuous and scalable processing technique that imposes mechanochemical changes in polymer-based materials. It has been shown to impart beneficial properties onto homopolymers or create copolymers and composites through continuous fragmentation and fusion. The unique technology employs cold temperature to keep the polymer in the solid state. This thesis investigates industrial polymer processing in the context of real-world applications. This thesis analyzes SSSP using an organized methodology called systematic innovation (SI). SI facilitates problem solving by assisting engineers in conducting root cause analysis around a material and studying the physical setup of the equipment.

This …

Reducing Print Time While Minimizing Loss In Mechanical Properties In Consumer Fdm Parts, Long Le, Mitchel A. Rabsatt, Hamid Eisazadeh, Mona Torabizadeh

Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Faculty Publications

Fused deposition modeling (FDM), one of various additive manufacturing (AM) technologies, offers a useful and accessible tool for prototyping and manufacturing small volume functional parts. Polylactic acid (PLA) is among the commonly used materials for this process. This study explores the mechanical properties and print time of additively manufactured PLA with consideration to various process parameters. The objective of this study is to optimize the process parameters for the fastest print time possible while minimizing the loss in ultimate strength. Design of experiments (DOE) was employed using a split-plot design with five factors. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) was employed to …

Film Performance Of Poly(Lactic Acid) Blends For Packaging Applications, Carlos A. Diaz, Hsunpao Y. Pao, Sungyoung Kim

Journal of Applied Packaging Research

Poly(lactic acid) (PLA), a biodegradable thermoplastic derived from renewable resources, stands out as a substitute to petroleum-based plastics. PLA based films for food packaging has been an area of both commercial and research interest within the context of sustainability. In spite of its high strength, packaging applications have been limited because PLA is more brittle than traditional oil-based plastics. Because of this, films display low tear and impact resistance and produce a loud crackling sound when manipulated. Although many studies address the toughening of PLA in the bulk, little attention has been placed on the film performance. The present study …