Rheological Evaluation and Observations of Extrusion Instabilities of Biodegradable Polyesters

Abstract The rheological properties of two commercially available biodegradable polyesters – poly(lactic acid) (PLA) and aliphatic-aromatic co-polyester Ecoflex™ – have been investigated. The rheological study was focused on measuring the viscosity and examining sharkskin, melt fracture, and extrudate swell phenomena, which are crucial in industrial applications. The experiments show that the two biodegradable polyesters exhibit shear-thinning …