Fuente: Journal of applied polymer Lugar: RESEARCH ARTICLE This study presents a facile strategy to fabricate PBAT composite foams through utilizing PVA as an effective interfacial regulator, with enhanced mechanical and antibacterial performance.

ABSTRACT
Conventional foam packaging materials such as expanded polystyrene foam cause severe white pollution, driving the urgent development of biodegradable foam alternatives such as poly(butylene adipate-co-terephthalate) (PBAT) for sustainable packaging. Herein, a facile strategy was developed to fabricate the PBAT-based foam with improved mechanical and antibacterial performance. MgO was modified with cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) and incorporated into the PBAT/PVA matrix through a combined ball-milling and melt-blending process. In this process, PVA could serve as an effective interfacial regulator to improve the interfacial interaction between PBAT and MgO, thus effectively suppressing nanoparticles agglomeration. This synergistic strategy promoted heterogeneous nucleation during the supercritical CO2 foaming process and reinforced the foam cell walls. The optimized composite foam exhibited a 560.6% increase in compressive strength compared with the PBAT/MgO foam. Moreover, the modified MgO induced a weakly alkaline environment in soil, thereby enhancing the soil consumption behavior of the material. Meanwhile, the composite foam demonstrated strong antibacterial activity against both Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus, highlighting its potential for sustainable foam packaging applications.