A Study on the Decomposition Characteristics of Poly(lactic acid) Nonwoven Fabrics According to Water Soaking Temperature and Treatment Time
Vol. 58, No. 1, pp. 48-55,
Feb. 2021
10.12772/TSE.2021.58.048
PDF
Abstract
Polylactic acid (PLA), a biodegradable polymer, has been widely used for disposable
applications as a replacement for nondegradable polymers. The decomposition of
biodegradable polymers is mainly carried out by composting, photolysis, and hydrolysis
under given environmental conditions. The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect
of water treatment on the tensile and thermal properties of needle-punched PLA nonwoven
fabrics. The PLA nonwoven fabric was immersed in water at various temperatures and
treatment times. The morphology and thermal and mechanical properties of the PLA nonwovens
were examined by scanning electron microscopy, differential scanning calorimetry,
thermogravimetric analysis, and a tensile tester according to the water immersion
conditions. The results showed that when the water treatment time increased, the tensile
strength and tear force of the PLA nonwoven fabric decreased significantly. Crystallinity
analysis showed that the decomposition of PLA nonwovens was due to molecular chain
cleavage of the α and β phases. Depending on the decomposition environment, the
weight reduction of PLA nonwovens by water treatment was very high, while the decrease
in tensile strength was proportional to the weight reduction. Therefore, the decomposition
of PLA during water treatment was confirmed to be very significant.
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