MECHANICAL PROPERTIES OF BIODEGRADABLE COMPOSITES BASED ON POLYETHYLENE AND GELATIN

Abstract

As a result of this study, we have obtained polymer blends that are based on linear low-density polyethylene (LLDPE) and gelatin, and received data on biodegradation, mechanical properties, and amounts of compounds produced from blending of graft copolymer and free gelatin. It was found that as the amount of maleic groups in the polyethylene macromolecule increases, the amount of graft copolymer grows, and an increase in the content of gelatin in the blend leads to a noticeable rise in the elastic modulus, tensile strength, and a decrease in elongation at break. It was also found that the rate of biodegradability increases with a growth of the content of gelatin in the blend, biological degradation was observed in the first 10 days at 54 %, up to a maximum of 58 %. It was maintained that maximum degree of grafting LLDPE-g-MA and gelatin to each other depends on the amount of maleic anhydride in the graft copolymer; maximum degree of grafting appeared to be higher with increased amount of maleic anhydride in the composites.