Abstract: Polylactic acid (PLA)/esterified cellulose/nano-CaCO3 composites were prepared via melt blending. Properties of the composites were investigated by means of mechanical properties testing, differential scanning calorimeter, thermogravimetry, and scanning electron microscope. When the filler content was less than 5 %, esterified cellulose could be well dispersed in PLA matrix, and the mechanical properties of the composites were improved obviously compared with pure PLA. The filler acted as a nucleating agent in PLA matrix. However, the thermal stability of the composites was lower than that of PLA. When the filler content was more than 10 %, the aggregation of nano-CaCO3 was observed, which led to unsatisfactory properties of the composites.

Key words: poly(lactic acid), esterified cellulose, nano-CaCO3, composite, preparation, characterization