Biodegradable poly (lactic acid)/poly (butylene succinate) fibers with high elongation for health care products

Abstract

Poly (lactic acid)/poly (butylene succinate) (PLA/PBS) blend fibers with high miscibility and improved elongation with comparable mechanical strength were fabricated using the melt spinning process in order to reduce the impact on the environment by long-lasting plastics-based composites. The PLA/PBS blend fibers produced in different ratios have revealed high miscibility, which has been confirmed by morphological studies. The thermal properties showed the melting temperature of PLA at 167.13℃ and PLA/PBS blends at 169.18℃, and an increased content of PBS in blends also led to improved crystallinity. Importantly, during tensile testing, it is observed that the fracture behavior of the specimen changed from brittle fracture of neat PLA to ductile fracture of the blends, as demonstrated by the significant increase in the elongation at break with comparable tensile strength and modulus. Furthermore, the washing fastness, rubbing fastness, exhaustion values, strength loss, and shade depth ( K/ S value) for the knitted and dyed fibers were explored. It was found that the exhaustion and K/ S value increased when the temperature increased, but the strength decreased. The exhaustion and K/ S value of PLA/PBS blend fabrics improved compared to pure PLA fabric, with excellent washing and rubbing fastness.