Recently, considerable research effort has been undertaken to develop new plastic
materials with low environmental impact. Thermoplastic polymers were compounded
with natural materials to reduce the costs of production while maintaining their
properties [1]. In particular, composites and nanocomposites of biopolymers with
natural fillers seem to be very promising for the development of environmentally
friendly materials [2,3]. Biopolymers are naturally occurring polymers that are found in
all living organisms. The use of biopolymers has less adverse impact on our
environment compared to using fossil fuel based commodity plastics [4]. During the
last two decades, considerable attempts have been made to develop biodegradable
polymers and composites [3]. Aliphatic polyesters such as polylactic acid (PLA),
polycaprolactone (PCL), poly (3-hydroxybutyrate) (PHB) and polyglycolic acid (PGA)
represent important biodegradable polymers, which are now finding commercial
applications in combination with bio-based materials [5]. PLA, is a linear aliphatic thermoplastic polyester, produced from renewable resources, which has gained much
attention in both research and applications [6,7]. This polymer is produced either by
ring opening polymerization of lactide or by polycondensation of lactic acid monomers.
The monomer is obtained from the fermentation of corn or other renewable agricultural
raw material [8,9]. Poor thermal and mechanical resistance and limited gas barrier
properties compared to petroleum based polymers are the main limitations for the
application of PLA in packaging [10,11]. The above drawbacks could be overcome by
enhancing their thermo-mechanical properties through copolymerization, blending and
filling techniques. Combining synthetic PLA with natural polymers such as cellulose and starch is a suitable strategy for cost reduction and improvement of combined
properties.