A study on morphology and Performance of Polylactic Acid (PLA) membranes with tween 60

Abstract

Polylactic Acid (PLA) is a thermoplastic biodegradable material produced from renewable resources like corn starch or sugar cane. It is generally considered safe for use in food, and its production using existing manufacturing processes makes it cost-efficient. PLA is a hydrophobic and crystalline polymer. PLA membrane was fabricated using Polyethylene Glycol (PEG) and N-Methyl-2-Pyrrolidone (NMP) by the phase inversion method using Tween 60 as an effective emulsifier additive. Tween 60 is an ethoxylated sorbitan ester-based fatty acid (stearic acid). The prepared PLA membrane structure and morphology were studied by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), and the performance of the prepared membrane was evaluated by measuring porosity, pore size, and tensile strength. The tensile test confirmed that PLA membranes demonstrate allowable mechanical properties. After completing this observation, it was found that some amount of Tween 60 increased the water content pore size without disturbing polymer chain entanglement and enhanced water permeability through the membranes.