FABRICATION AND CHARACTERISATION OF POLYLACTIC ACID AND NATURAL RUBBER BLEND BIOPLASTICS FOR ORGANIC FERTILISER PACKAGING

The global fertiliser market is huge, and their packaging is
typically made from synthetic polymers that are not sustainable
and environmentally friendly. In view of this, the goal of this study
is to produce biodegradable plastic made of polylactic acid (PLA)
and natural rubber (NR) for fertiliser packaging. The bioplastic
was prepared by blending PLA and NR via solvent-casting
technique. The bioplastics were then characterised based on
morphological, mechanical, thermal resistance, water absorption
and degradation properties. Based on the morphological analysis,
a larger NR agglomeration was detected as the concentration of
NR increased from 0.5 to 1.5 wt% in the PLA/NR mixtures. This
could be the reason for the bioplastic to break easily, due to the
weak spot on the agglomeration area. Nevertheless, the addition
of NR enhances the melting point, water absorption and
biodegradability of the PLA/NR bioplastics, which are important
features for sustainable packaging.