Biodegradable Polymer Materials Based on Polylactide

Under conditions of shear deformations in a Brabender-type mixer by solid-phase mixing, polylactide compositions with different polysaccharides (starch, microcrystalline cellulose, ethylcellulose, and chitosan) are produced using. To improve the elasticity of the compositions, poly(ethylene glycol) is introduced as a plasticizer. It is shown that the mechanical characteristics, water absorption, and biodegradability of the compositions depend on the component ratio and nature of the polysaccharide used. A biodegradation mechanism has been proposed based on data from scanning electron microscopy and IR-spectroscopy.