Preparação e caracterização de filmes plásticos biodegradáveis a base de poly (Lactic) acid e borra de café

Abstract

Coffee is one of the most favourite beverages in Canada due to personal, social and cultural habits. It is estimated that more than 150 thousand metric tons of spent coffee ground is generated in Canada per year, creating a considerable amount of solid waste. Currently, spent coffee grounds are disposed off in the landfill, being composted, or used as fuel in boiler, all of these can be considered as waste economy opportunity. The purpose of this project is to utilize the high quality waste product, specifically to develop biodegradable composite based on poly (lactic) acid – an emerging biobased thermoplastic polymer that has gained increasing acceptance by the food industry in Ontario, Canada. The hypothesize that the coffee waste product can be processed and incorporated into poly(lactic acid) to produce composite materials with enhanced material properties. The envisaged “green” materials may be suitable for replacing some of the existing petroleum-based plastic packages in food and consumer products. By diverting the spent coffee grounds away from the landfill and developing novel applications for the waste product, the value of coffee bean can be upgraded, which is beneficial for coffee processors and end-users in Ontario. Furthermore, the disposal issues of spent coffee can be partially addressed.