Degradation behaviour of poly(lactic acid) films and fibres in soil under Mediterranean field conditions and laboratory simulations testing

[Display omitted] ▶ Long-term degradation of PLA in soil under Mediterranean field conditions. ▶ Confirmation of field test results with results of laboratory simulations testing. ▶ Fast reduction of elongation at break under mild Mediterranean soil conditions. ▶ Slow degradation/disintegration rate of PLA under Mediterranean soil environment. ▶ Effect of thickness and material type (film vs. fibre) on degradation rate. Long-term degradation/disintegration behaviour, indicative of the biodegradation in soil behaviour of poly(lactic acid) films and fibres, was studied in natural Mediterranean soil environment during an eleven-month trial in the experimental field. In parallel, simulated soil burial experiments were carried out under controlled laboratory conditions. The degradation/disintegration behaviour of PLA was analysed using visual inspection, mechanical testing, DSC and FTIR analysis. The influence of the thickness and the type of the materials (film vs. fibre) on disintegration was investigated under the given mild conditions. For comparison purposes, degradation/disintegration of PLA film was also studied under low temperature composting conditions (house composting). During long-term exposure under natural soil environment dominated by complex and uncontrolled biotic–abiotic conditions and Mediterranean climatic conditions and under house composting conditions, PLA film samples of different thicknesses were partially, to a rather low degree, degraded mechanically or slightly disintegrated. The results showed that degradation behaviour of bio-based polymers like poly(lactic acid) in a real soil environment is a complex phenomenon, following different patterns regarding morphological changes.