Thermal analysis & tensile properties of spirulina algae filled polylactic acid / Nor Amiera Sharweena Shahrulnizam

Nowadays, the widespread use of plastic packaging causes environmental concern since it accumulates on landfills. As a result, biodegradable polymers are being launched to replace conventional plastic in the packaging industry. Currently, biopolymers are being explored intensively, and several of them show potential to replace non-degradable plastic but one biopolymer (polylactic acid (PLA)) stands out since it has the same qualities as traditional plastics such as polystyrene and polyester. Therefore, the thermal analysis and mechanical properties of spirulina algae-filled polylactic acid was investigated in this study. The blend of polylactic acid (PLA) and Spirulina algae was prepared as a film for further analysis. Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) analysis was used to analyze the presence of functional group. The biodegradable plastic film composed of spirulina and polylactic acid blend was made through solution casting method. The blend was spread on the flat glass plate in order to produce the film with even thickness. The casted film is dried in room temperature until it is fully dry. The elasticity and strength of the film then was analyzed through tensile test. It was found that the film produced from PLA/Spirulina has more flexibility and reliability. The highest tensile strength of the film produced was found at 40/60% of PLA/Spirulina blend. The film’s performance may hint at its potential to be employed as bioplastic.