Abstract
In this study, the novel ternary green polymer composites of poly(l-lactic acid) (PLLA)/poly(ethylene adipate)/hexagonal boron nitride (PLLA/PEA/h-BN) were synthesized and prepared. The crystallization rate of the biodegradable polymer PLLA in the composite was significantly increased with the addition of PEA and functional h-BN. In ternary PLLA/PEA/h-BN composites, PEA can be used as a plasticizer, while h-BN is a functional nucleation agent for PLLA. The analysis of the isothermal crystallization kinetics by the Avrami equation shows that the rate constant k of the ternary PLLA/PEA/h-BN composite represents the highest value, indicating the highest crystallization in the ternary composite. Adding h-BN in the composite can further increase the k value and increase the crystallization rate. Polarized optical microscopy (POM) images reveal that h-BN is an effective nucleation agent that increases the nucleation density of composites. Analysis of wide-angle X-ray diffraction (WAXD) further confirmed that the crystalline structures of PLLA were unchanged by the addition of PEA and h-BN. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) images show that the h-BN particles are uniformly distributed in the composite. The distribution of h-BN having a particle size of a few hundred nm causes an effective nucleation effect and promotes the crystallization of the ternary composites.
Highlights
Aliphatic polyesters represent an important family of green and biodegradable polymers.Poly(l-lactic acid) (PLLA) is one of the most promising materials of this family, due to its biocompatibility, biodegradability and renewability [1,2,3]
The analysis of the isothermal crystallization kinetics by the Avrami equation shows that the rate constant k of the ternary poly(l-lactic acid) (PLLA)/Poly(ethylene glycol adipate) (PEA)/hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) composite represents the highest value, indicating the highest crystallization in the ternary composite
Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) images show that the h-BN particles are uniformly distributed in the composite
Summary
Aliphatic polyesters represent an important family of green and biodegradable polymers. Cellulose nanocrystal can be used as a nucleation agent to promote the crystallization behavior of PLLA plasticized by a biodegradable polymer [18]. The application of functional nucleation agents to accelerate the crystallization rate of PLLA related composites is an important issue. In terms of being used as a nucleation agent for biodegradable polymers, Puente et al [20] have found that the addition of h-BN to poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) (PHB) can introduce an effective nucleation effect, thereby increasing the crystallization rate of PHB. Functional h-BN may create more nucleating sites to further promote the crystallization rate of PLLA. The synthesized PLLA/PEA/h-BN composites could be the potential candidates for the applications of biodegradable plastics, packaging materials and the filaments of 3D-printing. The effective nucleation effect of h-BN in the ternary composite is highlighted
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