Low Interfacial Adhesion Research Articles

Composition Dependence of Flow-Induced Crystallization in High-Density Polyethylene/Isotactic Polypropylene Blends.

Polyolefins, including high-density polyethylene (HDPE) and isotactic polypropylene (iPP), account for over half of the worldwide plastics market and have wide-ranging applications. Recycling of these materials is hindered due to separation difficulties as co-mingled blends of HDPE and iPP often exhibit brittle mechanical behavior because phase separated domains detach under stress due to low interfacial adhesion. Motivated to improve mechanical properties of mixed recyclates during processing, this work examines the effect of shear on the crystallization kinetics and rheological properties of HDPE-iPP blends utilizing a combination of differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), rheo-Raman spectroscopy, polarized optical microscopy, and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). In the quiescent experiments, the crystallization temperature as a function of blend composition exhibits a distinct decrease when the iPP forms the droplet phase, as expected, due to fractionated crystallization. In the presence of shear, we find elongated domains due to high capillary number. Unexpectedly, we find a compositional dependence to the flow-induced crystallization (FIC) of iPP: stronger FIC is observed in all blends compared to the pure iPP. Moreover, the flow completely counteracts the reduced crystallization arising from fractionated crystallization, indicating that the flow is able to induce nucleation in droplets to an extent such that it offsets the reduction in active nucleating agents in finite size droplets. We attribute these effects to differing microflow fields in the various morphologies as the iPP domains deform under shear.

Valorization of Cellulosic Waste from Artichoke for Incorporation into Biodegradable Polylactic Acid Matrices.

This study presents the development of ecological compounds using polylactic acid (PLA) and artichoke flour with the aim of obtaining materials with properties like commercial PLA. PLA biocomposites with different concentrations of green artichoke (HV) and boiled artichoke (HH) (1, 3, 5, 7, 10 and 20% by weight) were manufactured through an extrusion and injection process. Structural, mechanical, physical and color tests were carried out to analyze the effect of lignocellulosic particles on the biopolymeric matrix. The Shore D hardness, elongation at break and heat deflection temperature (HDT) of the PLA/HV and PLA/HH samples showed similar values to pure PLA, indicating that high concentrations of both fillers did not severely compromise these properties. However, reductions in the tensile strength, impact strength and Young's modulus were observed, and both flours had increased water absorption capacity. FTIR analysis identified the characteristic peaks of the biocomposites and the ratio of the groups regarding the amount of added filler. The SEM revealed low interfacial adhesion between the polymer matrix and the filler. This study represents a significant advance in the valorization and application of circular economy principles to agricultural waste, such as artichoke waste. PLA/HV biocomposites make a substantial contribution to sustainable materials technology, aligning with the goals of the 2030 agenda to reduce environmental impacts and promote sustainable development.

Dispersion, solid solution, and covalent bond coupled to strengthen K4169/TiAl composite brazed joints: First-principles and experimental perspective

Ni/TiAl composite brazed joints could significantly reduce the aircraft's weight. However, low interfacial adhesion, coarse and brittle-hard intermetallic compounds (IMCs) seriously limited the application of Ni/TiAl composite joints in the next generation of aerospace applications. So enhanced K4169/TiAl composite joints were investigated by vacuum brazed with (Ni53.33Cr20B16.67Si10/Zr25Ti18.75Ta12.5Ni25Cu18.75) composite filler metal (CFM) designed based on cluster-plus-glue-atom model. The shear strength of the joint reached 485 MPa, comparable to the 491 MPa of TiAl substrate. The flat and brittle-hard diffusion reaction layer between Zones I and II was eliminated, simultaneously generating CrB4 dispersion strengthening due to the CFM developed with the interfacial solid-liquid space-time hysteresis effect. In Zones II and III, IMCs all transformed into Niss(Cr,Fe)[0–88], Niss(Ti, Al)[004], and Niss(Zr,Si)[11–2] of circular and oval shapes through isothermal solidification. Meanwhile, the residual stresses and hardness were distributed in reticulated cladding characteristics. Thereby, lattice distortion led to solid solution strengthening and increased plastic toughness through crack termination and bridging mechanisms, which inhibited dislocations from plugging and crack propagation. Various interfaces in Zone Ⅳ were regulated into semi- and coherent interfaces. Ni3(Ti,Al)/(Ni,Ti,Al) and (Ni,Ti,Al)/AlNi2Ti were composed of higher interfacial bonding energy (2.771 J/m2, 2.547 J/m2) and Ni-Ni covalent bonds. Interfacial covalent bonding and large interfacial bonding energy coupling strengthened Zone IV. Consequently, cracks initiated at the (Ni,Ti,Al)[013]/Ti3Al[010] and expanded rapidly into TiAl substrate. Therefore, applying this method to design CFMs and regulate the phase, grain morphology, and interface's fine structure could provide new pathways for dissimilar hard-to-join metals.

Transparent Superhydrophobic and Self-Cleaning Coating.

Surface roughness and low surface energy are key elements for the artificial preparation of biomimetic superhydrophobic materials. However, the presence of micro-/nanostructures and the corresponding increase in roughness can increase light scattering, thereby reducing the surface transparency. Therefore, designing and constructing superhydrophobic surfaces that combine superhydrophobicity with high transparency has been a continuous research focus for researchers and engineers. In this study, a transparent superhydrophobic coating was constructed on glass substrates using hydrophobic fumed silica (HF-SiO2) and waterborne polyurethane (WPU) as raw materials, combined with a simple spray-coating technique, resulting in a water contact angle (WCA) of 158.7 ± 1.5° and a sliding angle (SA) of 6.2 ± 1.8°. Characterization tests including SEM, EDS, LSCM, FTIR, and XPS revealed the presence of micron-scale protrusions and a nano-scale porous network composite structure on the surface. The presence of HF-SiO2 not only provided a certain roughness but also effectively reduced surface energy. More importantly, the coating exhibited excellent water-repellent properties, extremely low interfacial adhesion, self-cleaning ability, and high transparency, with the light transmittance of the coated glass substrate reaching 96.1% of that of the bare glass substrate. The series of functional characteristics demonstrated by the transparent superhydrophobic HF-SiO2@WPU coating designed and constructed in this study will play an important role in various applications such as underwater observation windows, building glass facades, automotive glass, and goggles.

Bioinspired Zwitterionic Nanowires with Simultaneous Biofouling Reduction and Release.

Marine biofouling is a complex and dynamic process that significantly increases the carbon emissions from the maritime industry by increasing drag losses. However, there are no existing non-toxic marine paints that can achieve both effective fouling reduction and efficient fouling release. Inspired by antifouling strategies in nature, herein, a superoleophobic zwitterionic nanowire coating with a nanostructured hydration layer is introduced, which exhibits simultaneous fouling reduction and release performance. The zwitterionic nanowires demonstrate >25% improvement in fouling reduction compared to state-of-the-art antifouling nanostructures, and four times higher fouling-release compared to conventional zwitterionic coatings. Fouling release is successfully achieved under a wall shear force that is four orders of magnitude lower than regular water jet cleaning. The mechanism of this simultaneous fouling reduction and release behavior is explored, and it is found that a combination of 1) a mechanical biocidal effect from the nanowire geometry, and 2) low interfacial adhesion resulting from the nanostructured hydration layer, are the major contributing factors. These findings provide insights into the design of nanostructured coatings with simultaneous fouling reduction and release. The newly established synthesis procedure for the zwitterionic nanowires opens new pathways for implementation as antifouling coatings in the maritime industry and biomedical devices.

Manipulating interfacial bond for controlling load transfer in 3D printed fiber reinforced polymer composites

The fiber/matrix interface is a critical item that affects Fiber Reinforced Polymer (FRP) composites mechanical performance due to its control of the load transfer mechanism. Partially bonded interfaces have been shown to affect the failure mode of FRP composites. This article examines the significance of manipulating the fiber/matrix interfacial bond in 3D printed FRP composites on the mechanical performance of multilayer 3D printed FRP composites. Three designs are investigated with different fiber stacking sequences, fiber orientation, and interfacial bond configurations. The designs have a low coefficient of variation in load fractions between layers to enable a gradual load transfer and progressive failure. Utilizing 3D printer chamber temperature changes, a composite with a controlled bond configuration is achieved using thermal blocks. It was observed that the controlled bond configurations resulted in promoting progressive failure and increased the strain at failure of 3D printed FRP composites. The observations of direct tension tests were supported with interlayer shear strength and interfacial adhesion tests which explained the weakened load transfer in the thermal block configurations. Using the interface manipulation strategy with thermal blocks in 3D printed specimens, a 25% lower interlayer shear strength and a 65% lower interfacial adhesion was achieved compared with un-modified interfaces. These changes attribute to the altered load transfer mechanism in 3D printed glass fiber reinforced composites and high strain to failure of up to 5% using high strength high stiffness fiber orientations. This work does not incorporate any new materials into the thermoplastic-fiber 3D printed structure which has been the strategy of past work to modify mechanical performance. Alternatively, a unique approach by using chamber and print bed temperature characteristics to modify the interfacial bond has been adopted that has shown to promote progressive failures and improve ductility in FRP composites. This study furthers the development of ductile designs in FRP composites with 3D printing technology in aerospace, wind, infrastructure, and automobile applications.

Diffusion bonding behaviour of Nb–Si and TiAl alloys by spark plasma sintering

Nb–Si alloy and high niobium β-γ TiAl alloy(HNBG) was joined by diffusion bonding ranging from 1000 to 1100 °C at 10 MPa for 20 min by spark plasma sintering. The phase sequence from HNBG to Nb–Si side was HNBG||β/B2+α2-Ti3Al||δ-(Nb, Ti)3Al+σ-(Nb, Ti)2Al + Ti rich γ-(Nb, Ti)5Si3||Nb–Si in the joint. The sound joints without any pores were obtained with the bonding temperature above 1050 °C. The nano-indentation test results showed that Ti rich γ-(Nb, Ti)5Si3 and σ-(Nb, Ti)2Al phases had relatively high hardness and elastic modulus in the diffusion zones II. The highest shear strength of 269 MPa was achieved at 1050 °C. Fracture mainly occurred along the interface of the diffusion zones due to low interfacial adhesion induced by lower bonding temperature. As the bonding temperature was higher, the cracks propagated mainly from in the interface to through the phases due to the increase of interfacial adhesion. The joining mechanism of HNBG/Nb–Si joint was analysed through diagram.

Biofouling resistant materials based on micro‐structured surfaces with liquid‐repellent properties

AbstractAdhesion of contaminants on various polymer‐based devices during fluid‐substrate interactions is a common problem that can cause biofouling and corrosion. In this study, hierarchical structures with submicron features on polypropylene (PP), high‐density polyethylene (HDPE), and polycarbonate (PC) are fabricated by femtosecond laser ablation. The effect of the hierarchical structures on surface wettability, droplet impact, and bacterial attachment has been examined. Our results demonstrate that the structured polymeric substrates facilitate large contact angles and minimal interfacial adhesion, allowing droplets to roll off at a low angle of inclination below 5°. Further, rendering the hierarchical structures with a low‐surface‐energy coating can enable the surfaces to exhibit superamphiphobic properties. The low interfacial adhesion properties, as accounted by the large contact angles and small contact angle hysteresis, of such surfaces prevent bacterial attachment and biofilm formation. The findings provide a design principle for creating affordable biofouling resistant surfaces with a submicron topography that can be used for engineering and biomedical devices.

PVD coatings on punches for low interfacial adhesion to pharmaceuticals

The modification of the surface chemistry of steels is a crucial way to optimize different industrial processes, whether low or high adhesion is needed. In the case of compression of pharmaceuticals for tablet production, punches must have non-sticking properties to inhibit pharmaceutical adhesion. For this kind of application, it is necessary to develop hard coatings with low surface energy and static friction. For this aim, we investigated the physical, chemical, structural, mechanical, and tribological properties of diamond-like carbon (DLC) and transition metal dichalcogenides (TMD - WSC and WS2) coatings. In addition, we analyzed the potential of these coatings for pharmaceutical tablet fabrication. The coatings' surface free energy (SFE) was lower than that of blank steel, indicating better anti-adherent properties. The friction and morphology analysis showed that the tablets have less adhesion when in contact with selected coatings contrasting with higher adhesion in the uncoated sample. WSC was the coating showing the lowest adhesion for the four formulations studied in detail (paracetamol, fluvoxamine maleate, ibuprofen, and fertilizer). The results show that WSC is a suitable coating for the punches to produce tablets.

Effect of Microstructure on Coalescence-Induced Droplet Jumping Behavior of a Superhydrophobic Surface and Its Application for Marine Atmospheric Corrosion Protection

Coalescence-induced droplet jumping behavior (CIDJB) refers to the spontaneous jumping of droplets on a specific superhydrophobic surface (SS) without any external energy, which offers a new approach to the field of marine atmospheric corrosion protection by isolating corrosive media. In this study, a flower-like micro–nanocomposite structure SS (F-SS) and a sheet-like nanostructure SS (S-SS) were prepared on copper sheets by ammonia immersion and chemical vapor deposition. Firstly, we observed the microstructure characteristics of the samples and secondly analyzed its chemical composition and wettability. Moreover, the CIDJB was studied by simulated condensation experiments, and the influence of the microstructure on CIDJB was revealed. Meanwhile, the atmospheric corrosion resistance of samples was analyzed by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) measurements, and the protection mechanism of SS through CIDJB was proposed. The results showed that the S-SS had a smaller solid–liquid contact area and lower interfacial adhesion, which is more conducive to CIDJB. Since a larger solid–liquid contact area requires greater interface adhesion energy for the droplets to overcome, droplet jumping behavior was not observed on the F-SS. Compared with the F-SS, the S-SS exhibited outstanding corrosion resistance due to the wettability transition of droplets by CIDJB, which facilitated the restoration of the air film to insulate the corrosive medium. The present study provides a reference for a marine atmospheric corrosion resistance technique through CIDJB on an SS.

Tribo-catalysis triggered the in-situ formation of amphiphilic molecules to reduce friction and wear

A coating composed of Au/Ag/Cu was deposited onto steel surfaces to catalyze the tribochemical reaction of polyalphaolefin (PAO), resulting in the formation of amphiphilic molecules. The coated surface showed a reduction in friction coefficient and wear track width by 24.9∼43.0% and 61.4∼68.9%, respectively, compared to the bare steel surface. The in situ formed amphiphilic molecules were chemically bonded on tribopair surface after deprotonation, and then formed a tribofilm. This tribofilm exhibited low interfacial adhesion at nano scale, contributing to low friction and wear. Density functional theory simulations reveals that the dissociation energy of C-H bond on Au surface was much lower than that on iron surface, favoring the catalytic oxidation reaction of PAO into amphiphilic molecules.

Effect of water on the mechanical and thermal properties of natural fibre reinforced hybrid composites

Research and development on natural fibre-reinforced composites (NFRCs) is constantly increasing and their use is expanding into new areas of applications. One of the main problems is the absorption of humidity due to the hydrophilic characteristic of the natural fibre, which leads to low interfacial adhesion between the fibre and the hydrophobic matrix and consequently, relatively low mechanical properties. One method to reduce the sensitivity of mechanical and thermal properties of NFRCs to water uptake is the hybridization by using synthetic fibres and/or fillers. This research investigates the effect of ageing on the mechanical and thermal properties of different natural fibre and hybrid composites. Pure jute, pure jute modified with two different types of fillers (micro glass and nano TiO2) and interlaminar hybrid jute/glass fibre-reinforced polymer composites were fabricated. Bulk specimens were used to measure the diffusion coefficient of water in the composites, and tensile and flexural specimens were used to measure the mechanical properties of the conditioned specimens. A thermogravimetric technique (TGA) analysis was used to measure and compare the degradation temperature of all composites studied as a function of ageing. Finally, a scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis was performed to examine the fracture surfaces of the specimens tested. It was found that the water uptake decreases by adding the synthetic fibres and the fillers to the NFRCs. The mechanical properties of the composites (the tensile and flexural strength and modulus) tend to decrease with the increase of water content, and they are partially recovered after desorption at the same temperature as the absorption. The thermal properties of natural fibre composites are affected by water absorption and by the hybridization. The hybridization of the composites increased the maximum degradation temperature when compared to the pure jute, while the addition of fillers improved the thermal properties of aged specimens (the initial degradation temperature values were higher than those for the pure jute composites).

Fully biobased poly(lactic acid)/lignin composites compatibilized by epoxidized natural rubber

Biobased poly(lactic acid)/lignin (PLA/lignin) composites are limited by poor mechanical properties resulted from poor compatibility and low interfacial adhesion. Herein, we reported a novel approach to improve compatibility and interfacial adhesion of PLA/lignin composites via reactive compatibilization with epoxidized natural rubber (ENR) as a compatibilizer. Interfacial tension calculation indicated that lignin tended to act as interfacial phase between PLA and ENR, but morphology analysis demonstrated lignin was wrapped with a layer of ENR and dispersed in PLA matrix, which was attributed to the interfacial reaction of ENR with both PLA and lignin. The interfacial reaction was confirmed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The compatibility and interfacial adhesion between PLA and lignin were improved significantly by incorporation and increase in the content of ENR, as evidenced by the reduced interfacial gaps, blurry phase boundaries, and enhanced elastic response. As such, the mechanical properties of PLA/lignin composites were enhanced significantly. The tensile strength and elongation at break of PLA/lignin (W/W, 80/20) were improved by 15 % and 77 %, respectively, with the incorporation of only 1 wt% ENR. We believe this approach to compatibilize PLA/lignin composites is promising because it would not require costly modification of lignin and would not compromise the sustainability of composites.

Evaluation of the Physical and Shape Memory Properties of Fully Biodegradable Poly(lactic acid) (PLA)/Poly(butylene adipate terephthalate) (PBAT) Blends.

Biodegradable polymers have recently become popular; in particular, blends of poly(lactic acid) (PLA) and poly(butylene adipate terephthalate) (PBAT) have recently attracted significant attention due to their potential application in the packaging field. However, there is little information about the thermomechanical properties of these blends and especially the effect induced by the addition of PBAT on the shape memory properties of PLA. This work, therefore, aims at producing and investigating the microstructural, thermomechanical and shape memory properties of PLA/PBAT blends prepared by melt compounding. More specifically, PLA and PBAT were melt-blended in a wide range of relative concentrations (from 85/15 to 25/75 wt%). A microstructural investigation was carried out, evidencing the immiscibility and the low interfacial adhesion between the PLA and PBAT phases. The immiscibility was also confirmed by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). A thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) revealed that the addition of PBAT slightly improved the thermal stability of PLA. The stiffness and strength of the blends decreased with the PBAT amount, while the elongation at break remained comparable to that of neat PLA up to a PBAT content of 45 wt%, while a significant increment in ductility was observed only for higher PBAT concentrations. The shape memory performance of PLA was impaired by the addition of PBAT, probably due to the low interfacial adhesion observed in the blends. These results constitute a basis for future research on these innovative biodegradable polymer blends, and their physical properties might be further enhanced by adding suitable compatibilizers.

Bush‐Shaped Vertical Graphene/Nichrome Wire for Blackbody‐Like Radiative Heating

AbstractRadiative thermal management has attracted increasing attention for the advantages of energy saving and carbon emission reduction. Infrared radiation coatings are widely adopted to alleviate the low infrared emissivity of commonly used metal alloy electrothermal materials. However, traditional infrared radiation coatings are faced with the issues of the unsteady waveband emissivity, low interfacial adhesion to substrates, and poor long‐term thermal stability. Herein, a bush‐shaped vertical graphene (BVG) grown on nichrome (Ni–Cr) wire is demonstrated, relying on which BVG/Ni–Cr wire presents a high blackbody‐like emissivity of ≈0.96 across a wide wavelength range (2.5–18 µm). When used for radiative heating, BVG/Ni–Cr wire achieves a high thermal radiation efficiency with an order of magnitude improvement compared with bare Ni–Cr wire, as well as the superior deformation and thermal stabilities. These findings reveal the impressive potentials of BVG as an excellent infrared radiation material for the energy‐efficient radiative thermal management.

Tension-induced toughening and conductivity enhancement in sequentially bridged MXene fibers

Ti3C2T x MXene is a promising active material for developing fiber-based devices due to its exceptional electrical conductivity and electrochemical capacitance. However, fabricating robust fibers with high MXene content remains challenging due to shortcomings such as low interfacial adhesion between sheets and shrinkage-induced sheet disorientation during processing, leading to diminished physical and electrochemical properties. Here, we demonstrate the fabrication of tough, conductive, and electrochemically active fibers through a sequential bridging strategy involving calcium cation (Ca2+) infiltration of cellulose nanocrystal (CNC)-bridged MXene, cross-linked and dried under tension. The resulting fibers exhibited a record toughness of ∼2.05 MJ m−3 and retained high volumetric capacitance (∼985 F cm−3), attributed to the synergistic CNC bridging, Ca2+ cross-linking, and tension application during fiber drying. These fibers also surpass the conductivity of their unaligned pristine MXene counterpart (∼8347 S cm−1 vs ∼5078 S cm−1), ascribed to the tension-induced improvement in MXene alignment within these fibers, mitigating the undesirable effects of inserting an insulating CNC bridge. We anticipate that improving the toughness and conductivity of sequentially bridged MXene fibers will pave the way for the production of robust multifunctional MXene fibers, allowing their use in practical high-performance applications like wearable electronics and energy storage devices.

Ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene/hydrogen-rich benzoxazine composite with improved interlaminar shear strength for cosmic radiation shielding and space environment applications

Commercial off -the-shelf is being used as an electronic device for high-performance, low-cost satellites but is vulnerable to cosmic radiation. UHMWPE/hydrogen-rich benzoxazine composite (UHC) exhibits excellent cosmic radiation shielding. However, the low interfacial adhesion of UHMWPE causes low flexural strength and delamination of the UHC. We increased the interlaminar shear strength of UHC via polydopamine coating, MWCNT, and amine grafting on UHMWPE. The total mass loss and collected volatile condensable material tests were performed on the UHC to confirm for space environmental suitability. The proposed material is expected to be utilized as a cosmic radiation shielding panel for future satellites.

Effect of PC Percentages on Hardness and Notched Impact Strength of PBT/PC Blends

Polybutylene terephthalate (PBT) has been proven to be a potential material for modern car bumpers. However, the potential of PBT is limited by its low notched impact strength. The main aim of this study is the improvement in the notched impact strength of PBT by blending with polycarbonate (PC). PBT/PC blend at different ratios (95/5, 90/10, 85/15, 80/20) is investigated in notched Izod impact strength (ASTM D256) and hardness (ASTM D2240). Results are compared to those of neat PBT. It was found that notched Izod impact strength decreased with increasing PC rate in the blend, overall, from 4.35 kJ/m2 of neat PBT to 3.37 kJ/m2 of 80/20 blend. The microstructure of testing samples was observed through FESEM images taken at fracture surfaces to determine the cause of the decrease. The low interfacial adhesion between PBT and PC phases is believed to be the main reason. However, an increase in notched impact strength was shown, from 4.18 kJ/m2 of 95/5 blend to 4,71 kJ/m2 of 90/10 blend. This result is presumed to be due to the compatibilizing effect of PBT-PC copolymers formed during the melt blending process. Hardness testing result demonstrates neither significant improvement nor deterioration. It concluded that it is possible to improve the notched impact strength of PBT by blending with PC. The PBT/10% PC blend is a suitable choice for car bumper material since its notch impact strength is higher than neat PBT.

Improvement of the Mechanical Properties by Surface Modification of ZnCl2 and Polydopamine in Aramid Fiber Composites

Although aramid fiber has the advantage of excellent chemical and mechanical properties, the performance of the composites may be reduced due to the low interfacial adhesion between the fabric and the matrix. The surface of the aramid fiber was modified to improve the interfacial properties. The surface of the aramid fibers was treated with ZnCl2 and polydopamine. After the pretreated fabrics were made into a composite material by the vacuum-assisted resin transfer molding (VARTM) process, their mechanical performance was investigated. The highest impact energy was shown in the concentration of 6 wt% ZnCl2 and 1.5 g/L polydopamine, which is 20% better than that of the untreated material. In the bending strength, the condition of 1.5 g/L polydopamine resulted in the highest value and increased by 13% compared to the untreated material. The hybrid surface treatment of ZnCl2 and polydopamine did not significantly affect the tensile strength.

Morphological control and interfacial compatibilization of fully biobased PLA/ENR blends via partial crosslinking ENR with sebacic acid

The fully biobased polylactide/epoxidized natural rubber (PLA/ENR) blend usually shows poor mechanical properties due to the coarse phase-separated morphology with low interfacial adhesion. Herein, we report a novel strategy to tailor the phase morphology and interfacial adhesion of PLA/ENR blend by partial crosslinking ENR with sebacic acid (SA). A series of partially crosslinked sebacic acid modified ENRs (mENRs) with different crosslinking degrees combining with reactive epoxy and carboxyl groups were simply prepared by mixing ENR with SA with 1-methylimidazole as a catalyst. In-situ interfacial compatibilization occurs during melt blending PLA with mENR through reaction between reactive groups of mENR and PLA. The phase morphology especially particle diameter and size distribution of dispersed mENR phase can be regulated by the crosslinking degree of mENR. The morphology and interface of PLA/mENR (80/20, w/w) were tuned finely when mENR-1 (SA/ENR=1/100, mol/mol) with gel fraction of 51% was used to blend with PLA, thus leading to drastically enhanced toughness with impact strength, elongation at break, and tensile toughness of 477.6 J m−1, 427% and 100.3 MJ m−3, which were ~13.8, ~35.6, and ~18.9 times higher than those of neat PLA, respectively. The highly-toughened PLA/mENR blend follows a toughening mechanism of internal mENR cavitation induced matrix shear yielding and plastic deformation.