Mechanical Properties and Biodegradability of Polylactide—Polysaccharide Compositions

Under the conditions of shear deformations, blends of polylactide with natural polysaccharides and their derivatives (starch, chitosan, and ethyl cellulose) were obtained in a Brabender mixer at different ratios of components; their properties were studied. It has been shown that the mechanical parameters of compositions depend on their composition and the nature of the polysaccharide used. In order to improve the plasticity of the compositions, a plasticizer, poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG), was added to them; the anomalous dependence of the change in elongation at break on the amount of PEG introduced was detected. The study of the biodegradability of the compositions obtained by various methods and changes in their structure during biodegradation made it possible to determine the characteristics of the biodestruction of the samples under study.