Mechanical and Thermal Properties of Biocomposites from Poly(lactic acid) and DDGS

Distillers dried grains with solubles (DDGS), an ethanol industry coproduct, is used mainly as a low-value feedstuff. Poly(lactic acid) (PLA) is a leading biodegradable polymer, but its applications are limited by its relatively high cost. In this study, low-cost, high-performance biodegradable composites were prepared through thermal compounding of DDGS and PLA with methylene diphenyl diisocyanate (MDI) as a coupling agent. Mechanical, morphological, and thermal properties of the composites were studied. The coupling mechanism of MDI in the PLA/DDGS system was confirmed via Fourier-transform infrared spectra. The PLA/20% DDGS composite with 1% MDI showed tensile strength (77 MPa) similar to that of pure PLA, but its Young's modulus was 25% higher than that of pure PLA. With MDI, strong interfacial adhesion was established between the PLA matrix and DDGS particles, and the porosity of the composites decreased dramatically. Crystallinity of PLA in the composites was higher than that in pure PLA. Composites with MDI had higher storage moduli at room temperature than pure PLA. This novel application of DDGS for biocomposites has significantly higher economic value than its traditional use as a feedstuff. (c) 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 121: 589-597, 2011