Morphology and crystalline characteristics of polylactic acid [PLA]/linear low density polyethylene [LLDPE]/microcrystalline cellulose [MCC] fiber composite

The purpose of current work is to examine the influence of microcrystalline cellulose fibre on PLA/LLDPE polyblend and their characterization by the XRD, FESEM, TEM, DSC, POM and UTM. All three constituents were taken in different loading and then extruded in the twin screw extruder via melt extrusion technique. The tensile strength and percentage elongation of PLA/LLDPE/1% MCC was reduced to 56% and increased to 9% than pure PLA while UTS and % elongation were increased and decreased to ∼12 and ∼18% than PLA/LLDPE polyblend, respectively. The toughness of PLA/LLDPE/1% MCC was decreased to 1543 kJ/m3 from PLA 1942 kJ/m3. No change was observed in Tg of polyblend composite but the crystallization temperature was reduced by 5 °C. The spherulite growth rate of PLA/LLDPE/1 wt % MCC was 2.5 μm/min higher than neat PLA (1.1 μm/min) and PLA/LLDPE/3% MCC (1.8 μm/min). This study showed noticeable changes in various properties of the polyblend composites like mechanical, morphological, and crystallinity were influenced by the orientation of fibre, composition, polymer miscibility and interaction at the edges among the matrix, disperse phase and filler.