Green Synthesis of Lactirofoam Using the Micronization Process

Abstract

In particular, foams have been given a lot of attention in the packaging industry and other sectors over the years. In this study, low-density white lactirofoam is created using micronized polylactide particles, and the essence of making it environmentally friendly is considered. A new approach covering four key stages was used in the synthesis of lactirofoam, involving a ring-opening polymerization process for L-lactide, emulsion micronization solution preparation, deposition, and molding. Characterization by ATR-IR and ¹H-NMR techniques confirmed the synthesis of the polylactide polymer. The optical micrograph showed that the process of micronization of the lactirofoam particles was quite efficient. The GPC analysis confirmed that the key to controlling the molecular weight of the final polymer during ROP in order to achieve the desired density of lactirofoams was a specific choice of molar ratios for starting monomers. In addition, lactirofoam’s temperature properties have been determined using TG/DTG/DTA. With the molecular weight of the polymer, they confirmed an increase in the thermal stability of lactirofoam.

Graphical Abstract