New ternary biodegradable compositions based on polyethylene and polysaccharides

Ternary systems of low-density polyethylene (LDPE) with polysaccharides (cellulose, starch, chitin, and chitosan) have been prepared under shear deformation in a rotor disperser. The ternary blends exhibits enhanced biodegradability and rather high mechanical characteristics. SEM demonstrates that biodestruction involves not only polysaccharides but also the polyethylene matrix. This is also supported by IR spectroscopy, which reveals that biodestruction is accompanied by an increase in crystallinity of the initial LDPE.