Rheological behavior of the poly(lactic acid) (PLA) composites filled with ground chestnut shell (CN) was investigated. Application of various measuring techniques: small amplitude oscillatory shearing rheometry and capillary rheometry, allowed to determine in detail changes of rheological behavior and potential processing limitations of fully biodegradable composites modified by an organic waste filler. Different influence of the ground chestnut shell filler on PLA-based composites flow behavior was observed during rotational and capillary rheometry. Incorporation of particleshaped natural filler resulted in strong increase of composites’ complex viscosity. However, due to occurrence of significant wall slip during capillary flow, materials containing ground chestnut were characterized by improved processability which result in increased melt flow index (MFI).

Keywords: poly(lactic acid), chestnut, composite, rheology