Abstract
In this paper, the influence of the molecular structure of polylactide (PLA)—characterised by its molar mass and content of d-lactide isomer—on the molecular ordering and α’–α form transition during fibre manufacturing by the wet spinning method is described. Fibres were studied by wide-angle X-ray diffraction (WAXD) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). Additionally, the physical and mechanical properties of the fibres were determined. This study also examines the preliminary molecular ordering and crystallisation of PLA fibres at various draw ratios. The performed experiments clearly show the dependence of the molecular ordering of PLA on the molar mass and d-lactide content during the wet spinning process. The fibres manufactured from PLA with the lowest content of d-lactide and the lowest molar mass were characterised by a higher tendency for crystallisation and a higher possibility to undergo the disorder-to-order phase transition (α’ to α form). The structural changes in PLA explain the observed changes in the physical and mechanical properties of the obtained fibres.
Highlights
In recent years, poly(lactic acid), called polylactide (PLA), has become the most commonly used biodegradable material produced from completely renewable sources such as corn, sugar, and vegetables
D -lactide isomer was taken from the Nature Works Data, and the molar mass was determined by size-exclusion chromatography (SEC, Wyatt Technology Corporation, Santa Barbara, CA, USA) with a multi-angle light scattering (MALLS) detector in methylene chloride (Table 1)
The wet spinning technique stable solution into fibres an appropriate apparent dynamic viscosity of the polymer solution that depends on the concentration of the polymer of the spinning solution, while an excess concentration can increase the apparent dynamic viscosity, A low the concentration the spinning may parameters adversely affect the continuity of the flowhave whichsolution
Summary
Poly(lactic acid), called polylactide (PLA), has become the most commonly used biodegradable material produced from completely renewable sources such as corn, sugar, and vegetables. Due to high manufacturing costs, the use of PLA was limited to medical applications for many years [4,5]. PLA has become a major starting material in the manufacture of biodegradable textiles [6,7]. The preparation, structure, and properties of products made of PLA and its derivatives are the subjects of intensive scientific and technological investigations [8,9,10,11]. The physical properties, in combination with biodegradability, makes polylactide fibres and nonwovens fabrics useful raw materials for the preparation of disposable medical and hygiene textiles [12,13,14]. Other applications include technical textiles used in filtration or agriculture [15,16]
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