Abstract
In recent years, biodegradable polymer composites have attracted considerable attention due to
inadequate and depleting petroleum resources and to replace nonbiodegradable synthetic polymers
posing environment problems. In the present work, biodegradable composites based on polypropylene
carbonate (PPC)=eggshell powder (ESP) were prepared by the solution-casting method
using chloroform as the solvent. Polypropylene carbonate was loaded with 1 to 5 wt% of eggshell
powder (particle size<40 mm). Characterization of the composites was accomplished by Fourier
transform-infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and X-ray diffraction
(XRD) analysis, and morphological studies were carried out by optical microscopy (OM) and scanning
electronic microcopy (SEM). The tensile properties of the composite films were found to be
higher than those of neat PPC matrix and increased with ESP content up to 4 wt.% and then
decreased. This work offers an easy path to manufacture ecofriendly PPC=eggshell powder com-
posite films with improved properties, and reducing, in some cases, the demand for petroleum-based
plastics such as polyolefins.