Investigation of the structure evolution of PLA, PBS and PBAT upon dynamic fatigue test

Biodegradable polymers can be good replacement of their petroleum-based counterparts, which is a very important aspect for achieving our net-zero target. However, we have limited knowledge about their long-term mechanical properties such as mechanical fatigue performance, to ensure their durability and safety for different applications. Although our recent published work proved their excellent fatigue performance compared to similar petroleum-based ones from a macro-scale, the fatigue mechanism of biodegradable polymers, especially their micro-scale structure evolution during fatigue, is still unclear. With the support from Mitacs Globalink, we would like to investigate the structure-evolution of commercially available biodegradable polymers (polylactic acid (PLA), polybutylene succinite (PBS) and polybutylene adipate co-terephthalate (PBAT)) upon dynamic fatigue test. This research will deliver off-the-shelf results to develop some correlations between the macro-scale fatigue phenomenon and micro-scale structure change upon dynamic fatigue tests.

Faculty Supervisor:

Denis Rodrigue

Student:

Partner:

Karlsruher Institut für Technologie

Discipline:

Engineering

Sector:

Education

University:

Université Laval

Program: