Characteristics and mechanical properties changes due to incorporation of aloe vera in polyethylene-based film

Abstract

Non-degradable properties of polyethylene (PE) films due to long-chain structure cause increment of solid waste plastic. Many researchers, with different purposes, have studied the incorporation of functional materials to PE. Studying the impact of incorporation of aloe vera (AV) into PE films in terms of its characteristic and mechanical properties is the main objective of this paper. The films were prepared using melt-blending and hot press technique. The characterization assessed for the PE and PE-AV films were spectroscopy, crystalline phase, thermal analysis and performance of mechanical properties of the sample.  The functional group detected in spectroscopy studied did not show any changes for PE film or PE with the presence of AV. Lower thermal degradation temperature (T_d) obtained for PE-AV3 while others film found no significant changes of T_d value and only one peak of thermal degradation occurred for all film. The same goes to the analysis obtained from differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) data. However, the crystalline structure displayed momentous peak changes for PE with AV. The highest tensile strength (TS) obtained by PE-AV3, at once developing highest value of Young’s modulus (YM), modulus of resilience (U_E) and modulus of toughness (U_T). A certain amount of AV has substantial effect on changing the polymeric structure especially improving the mechanical properties of PE film. Therefore, AV has potential to become an additive for developing a new partially degradable PE film.