The aim of this work is to evaluate the use of Poly(lactic acid)(PLA) industrial waste as a source of raw material for certain applications, as well to understand the effects of the annealing on the fracture behaviour of PLA. PLA waste has been simulate by an initial step of extrusion in a single screw extruder and pelletizing. Specimens of virgin and reprocessed PLA were obtained by injection molding. An anneling treatment capable of increasing the percentage of cristallinity (determined by differential scanning calorimetry) was also analyzed in reprocessed and non reprocessed specimens. The fracture behaviour was studied at slow and high testing speed, applying the linear elastic fracture mechanics (LEFM) on single edge notched bend (SENB) specimens. This study revealed that the fracture toughness of the reprocessed PLA was basically the same that the virgin PLA and also that the increase in the crystalline fraction produced an improvement on the fracture toughness, at slow loagind rate.

Peer Reviewed