The development of bio-plastics (i.e., biodegradable and bio-based plastics) is animportant way of reducing fossil-based plastic waste. However, the degradable propertiesthat make bio-plastic useful also provide it with significant resistance to commercial use,especially with respect to catastrophic mechanical failure in response to external stimulus.
This study develops a functional biodegradable film with bi-layers (PBFs) to achieve bothbiodegradable features and mechanical stability by incorporating self-healable microcapsules.
To improve the scratch-resistance, microcapsules comprised of a poly urea-formaldehyde(PUF) shell and a linseed oil (LO) core are infiltrated to the protective polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) layer. When external pressure causes damage to the microcapsule,internal linseed oil (LO) flows out and crosslinks the biodegradable polylactic acid(PLA) film in the presence of oxygen. Several parameters, such as capsule size, content, andcuring temperature, are examined. In summary, the embedding of 5 wt% self-healingmicrocapsules yielded a healing efficiency of 94% at 70 oC in 20 min.