Thermal degradation and spectroscopy analysis of TPS/PBAT blends irradiated by Cobalt-60 source

Abstract

This study aimed to prepare blends of natural polymers of TPS with PBAT by reactive extrusion that were subsequently subjected to the irradiation process and evaluated for their thermal and chemical properties. The blends were incorporated with plasticizers (glycerol, castor oil and surfactant) and submitted to the irradiation process using a Cobalt-60 source at a 25 kGy dose and then characterized by FTIR and DSC. The results obtained in the FTIR analysis, the blends did not undergo chemical changes during the irradiation process and thus, maintained their properties. In the DSC analysis, it was observed that the blends F2 (castor oil) and F3 (castor oil and TWEEN® 80) showed higher values of heat flow for degradation than the samples F0 (glycerol) and F1 (glycerol and TWEEN® 80), probably due to the chemical interaction of castor oil and its constituents. There was no thermal variation in the irradiation process between blends F0 and F1 or F2 and F3. It was concluded that it is feasible to replace castor oil with glycerol in TPS/PBAT blends, and that irradiation using a Cobalt-60 source did not change the properties analyzed and contributed to microbiological protection.