Physicochemical properties of organoclay filled polylactic acid/natural rubber blend bionanocomposites

A novel toughened polylactic acid (PLA) bionanocomposite with tuneable properties was successfully prepared by melt mixing PLA with natural rubber and several montmorillonites (MMTs). The organoclays were preferentially located at the interface acting as compatibilisers between both polymer phases. This location resulted in a marked improvement of the physical and mechanical properties of the system. Moreover, these properties can be controlled as a function of the nanofiller nature and the mixing procedure used.