Preparation, characterization and mechanical properties of the polylactide/perlite and the polylactide/montmorillonite composites

In this study polylactide (PLA)/perlite and PLA/montmorillonite (MMT) composites were prepared by melt extrusion and solvent dissolution methods. The effects of organic/inorganic ratios and the kind of inorganic compounds on the characterization of the composite materials were investigated. The thermal stability of the organic-inorganic composite materials was evaluated by TGA and DSC, and the morphology of these composites was measured as SEM images. The modulus of elasticity was evaluated by Dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA). The PLA/inorganic composites exhibited remarkable improvement of mechanical and thermal properties when compared with those of the pure PLA.