2026 (3) 4

https://doi.org/10.15407/polymerj.48.03.131

ANALYSIS OF STRUCTURAL TRANSFORMATIONS IN BIODEGRADABLE POLYMER COMPOSITES AS A FUNCTION OF FILM-FORMING COMPONENTS AND FUNCTIONAL ADDITIVES

Tetiana DMYTRIEVA  (ORCID: 0000-0002-3526-8395)

Galyna GLIEVA (ORCID: 0000-0002-2916-0257)

Volodymyr BORTNYTSKYI (ORCID: 0000-0003-4954-6533)

Valeriy DAVYDENKO (ORCID: 0000-0003-0771-2679)

Sergii RIABOV* (ORCID: 0000-0003-2996-3794)

Institute of Macromolecular Chemistry of the NAS of Ukraine, 48, Kharkivske Highway, Kyiv, 02155 Ukraine

^*Corresponding author.

E-mail:  Riabov.S@nas.gov.ua

Polimernyi Zhurnal, 2026, 48, no. 3: 131–140

Section: Structure and properties

Language: Ukrainian

Received 22.06.2026

Accepted 01.09.2026

Published 19.10.2026

Abstract

The use of polylactic acid (PLA) and polycaprolactone (PCL) as film-forming components in composites with thermoplastic starch (TPS) was investigated. An optimal composition of the functional additive in TPS was developed using chitosan and lactic acid (chitosan lactate, LC). The physical and mechanical properties of the PLA/TPS and PCL/TPS composites were determined. The structure of the composites and its changes following thermomechanical treatment were studied using FT-IR spectroscopy. Mass spectrometric analysis was performed, and the characteristic mass spectra of ion fragments resulting from the thermal decomposition of PLA, LC, and PLA/TPS were analyzed; their intensities at the peak region were measured. Structural changes in the compositions were studied using DSC and TGA methods, and the mass loss and rate of mass loss during thermal decomposition were quantitatively determined.

Keywords: thermoplastic starch, structure-forming additives, film-forming properties, chitosan lactate.

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