Supertoughened Poly(lactic acid)/Polyurethane Blend Material by in Situ Reactive Interfacial Compatibilization via Dynamic Vulcanization

Abstract

Poly(lactic acid) (PLA) is well-known as a biocompatible and biodegradable polymer that can be obtained from natural sources. However, the brittleness of PLA is a significant drawback for its wide application. In this study, a poly(lactic acid) (PLA)/polyurethane elastomer prepolymer (PUEP) dynamically vulcanized system was introduced and studied in detail. The torque, FTIR spectrum, and gel content demonstrated that PUEP was vulcanized and that the isocyanate (−NCO) group in PUEP was successfully reacted with the −OH groups at both sides of the PLA. The scanning electron microscopy (SEM) revealed that a relatively uniform phase morphology and good interfacial compatibilization were achieved in the dynamically vulcanized blends. The interfacial reaction and compatibilization between the component polymers resulted in the formation of supertoughened PLA/PUEP blended materials.