Modification of PLA/PCL/Aceh’s bentonite nanocomposites as biomedical materials

The composite formation from PLA /PCL mixture with bentonite as filler has been carried out by melt intercalation method. Bentonite was obtained from the local area of Bener Meriah, in Aceh which has been modified with CTAB surfactant. The bentonite is which is a swelling (Na+) bentonite. The mass ratio PLA: PCL mixture was varied at 60:40, 50:50, and 40:60, the bentonite filler additive was varied at 3%, 5% and 8% of total weight of the mixture. Temperature and heating duration to melt the mixture were 180°C and 20 minutes, respectively. In the process of forming the sample accordance to ASTM D-638 standard. The process produce the white bone plastic material which was tested by several characterization. Thermo Gravimetric Analysis (TGA) shows that PLA/PCL mixture improve thermal stability of the resulting polymer mixture than a single polymer. Futhermore, the tensile strength of the composite with bentonite addition as filler in the composite increased the tensile strength. The strenth is higher as the weigth percentage of the filler increased. Samples PLA60/PCL40 with addition of 8% filler bentonite is the most optimum composite among other variations with thermal degradation temperature value of 355°C and tensile strength of 440 MPa. This research produces a composition of polymer-filler mixtures that are prospectively to be further developed as bio-based composites for various industrial applications, especially biomedical.