Development of poly (lactic acid)/glassy carbon composites for the production of antistatic and biodegradable packaging

• Grant number: 20/14513-3
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: March 01, 2021
• End date: February 28, 2022
• Field of knowledge: Engineering - Materials and Metallurgical Engineering - Nonmetallic Materials
• Principal Investigator: Fabio Roberto Passador
• Grantee: Felipe Mac-Dowell Facão Torres
• Host Institution: Instituto de Ciência e Tecnologia (ICT). Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP). Campus São José dos Campos. São José dos Campos , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Antistatic packaging is used for the transport and storage of electronic devices to prevent the accumulation of electrostatic discharges that can damage the product. There are several ways to produce packages that have low electrical resistivity for use as antistatic packaging, especially the preparation of composites with the addition of carbon materials. In order to obtain antistatic and biodegradable packaging, the use of poly (lactic acid) (PLA) as a polymeric matrix is being proposed, as it is a biodegradable material and from a renewable source. The use of glassy carbon (GC) is being proposed, a material of green origin and which has high electrical conductivity. This work proposes the development of PLA /GC composites to obtain biodegradable packaging with low electrical resistivity. The methodology is based on the preparation of PLA/GC composites with different GC contents (0.1; 0.3; 0.5; 1, 3, and 5 wt%) in a twin-screw extruder and production of thin films. The composites will be characterized by mechanical (tensile tests), thermal (thermogravimetric analysis), morphological (scanning electron microscopy), and electrical (impedance tests) properties. For biodegradability evaluation of the composite, biodegradation tests will be carried out in liquid media. The results will be evaluated and compared looking for the composition with less electrical resistivity and that is biodegradable for validation as antistatic packaging.