Abstract
Biodegradable blends of poly(butylene adipate-co-terephthalate) (PBAT) and stereocomplex polylactide (sc-PLA) were prepared herein via a melt blending method at various sc-PLA loadings. Wide-angle X-ray diffraction and differential scanning calorimetry results verified that complete stereocomplex polylactide crystallites in the PBAT could be achieved. Scanning electron microscopy observation indicated that sc-PLA was dispersed in the PBAT matrix as spherical particles; the dispersed size of the sc-PLA did not display a pronounced increase once the content of sc-crystallites reached a critical gel point. As solid fillers, sc-PLA could reinforce the PBAT matrix in a relatively wider temperature region and accelerate the non-isothermal crystallization of PBAT. The properties of PBAT were greatly improved after blending with sc-PLA, particularly when a percolation network structure of spherical filler had formed in the blends. In addition, all the blends showed higher yield stresses and moduli than those of the neat PBAT but exhibited reduction in elongations in tensile mechanical tests. These results would be interesting to the industrial polymer materials community, and may be of significant use and importance for the wider practical application of PBAT.
Highlights
Polymeric materials have been rapidly developed as the most widely used materials over the decades, and made a big contribution to human lifestyle and scienti c technology development
Biodegradable poly(butylene adipate-co-terephthalate) (PBAT)/stereocomplex polylactide (sc-Poly(lactic acid) (PLA)) blends were prepared via a melt blending method at various sc-PLA loadings from 10 to 30 wt%
The formation of sc-PLA particles could accelerate the non-isothermal crystallization of PBAT as a nucleating agent
Summary
Poly(lactic acid) (PLA) is derived completely from renewable resources and production is sustainable.[13,14,15,16,17] It can signi cantly contribute to the control of green-house gas (CO2) emission as a result of carbon capture during plant growth and the eventual complete biodegradability of the PLA matrix. The results demonstrated that exclusive stereocomplex crystallites, without homocrystallites of PLLA or PDLA, could be formed at processing temperatures as low as 175 C with equimolar PLLA/PDLA in the blends, the rheological and mechanical properties of P34HB were greatly improved a er blending with sc-PLA.[36]. Our results demonstrated that the stereocomplex crystals can be formed in situ during melt blending process of PBAT with equimolar PLLA and PDLA, as investigated by wide-angle X-ray diffraction (WAXD) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The morphology analysis, rheological, nonisothermal crystallization and tensile mechanical behaviors of PBAT and its blends were investigated in detail These results would be interesting to the polymer materials industrial community, which may be of signi cant use and importance for the wider practical application of the PBAT
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