Development of toughened Poly lactic acid based sustainable blends for 3D printing and Biocomposites of PLA with Epoxidised neem oil and Coir fibre

Abstract

newline Demand of plastics in daily life is significantly increasing that newlineranges from domestic to engineering applications. In various sectors such newlineas packaging, automobile, biomedical, aerospace, agriculture, electrical, newlineelectronics, sports etc., plastics find applications and there is a steady newlineincrease in the consumption of plastics. The non-fuel applications of newlinepetrochemicals is majorly getting diverted into plastics and hence the newlineglobal production of plastics is likely to increase. The advantages of newlineplastics such as light weight, high specific strength, easy processability, newlinelow energy requirements for processing, wide design freedom, resistance newlineto moisture, chemical resistance, colourability etc. employ plastics as the newlinematerials of choice in various applications. As the consumption of plastics newlineare increasing, the challenge of waste generation across the world is newlineincreasing proportionately. The increase in the demand for plastics has an newlineadverse impact on environment as it takes hundreds of years for some types newlineof plastics to degrade. Also there is pertinent need to establish higher number newlineof plastics recycling plants to increase the rate of recycling which is hardly newline10% globally, in order to establish circular economy. Hence there is a newlinedemand for paradigm shift to Biobased plastics from conventional plastics, newlineespecially for less durable applications. Biopolymers originate from plant newlinebased or animal based sources and has low carbon footprint on environment. newlineBio-based plastics can be designed to be totally biodegradable to CO2, H2O newlineand biomass in a matter of months or years and offer a series of advantages newlinethat contribute to unsustainability goals (i.e., Good Health and Well-Being, newlineClean Water and Sanitation, Affordable and Clean Energy, Decent Work and newlineEconomic Growth, Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure, Sustainable newlineCities and Communities, Responsible Consumption and Production, newlineClimate Action, Life below Water, and Life on Land).