Nonisothermal Crystallization Behavior Research Articles

Thermal Performance of a Blend System Based on Poly(l-lactic acid) and an Aliphatic Multiamide Derivative of 1H-Benzotriazole

ABSTRACTAn aliphatic multiamide derivative derived from 1H-benzotriazole, N, N'-bis(1H-benzotriazole) sebacic acid acethydrazide (SA), was synthesized to evaluate its effect on the thermal performance, including non-isothermal crystallization and melting behavior as well as thermal stability, of poly(l-lactic acid) (PLLA). The comparative study, by means of DSC measurements, showed that the incorporation of SA caused a non-isothermal crystallization peak to appear and become sharp, showing its advanced crystallization promoting effect for PLLA. The non-isothermal crystallization results further indicated that 2 wt% SA was the saturation concentration for PLLA crystallization, and that the cooling rate was also a crucial determinant for PLLA crystallization. Considering the melting behavior, the difference between the virgin PLLA and PLLA/2%SA further confirmed the crystallization accelerative effect of SA for PLLA, with the increase of crystallization temperature in the temperature zone from 90 to 130°C being beneficial to the crystallization of PLLA during processing. Compared to the virgin PLLA, the trends of thermal decomposition curves were similar, suggesting that the introduction of SA of 0.5–3 wt% did not significantly change the thermal decomposition behavior of PLLA.

Effects of melt structure on non-isothermal crystallization behavior of isotactic polypropylene nucleated with α/β compounded nucleating agents

In this study, the effects of melt structure (tuned by controlling the fusion temperature Tf) on non-isothermal crystallization and subsequent melting behaviors of isotactic polypropylene (iPP) nucleated with α/β compounded nucleating agents (α/β-CNAs) have been further investigated. The results show that under all cooling rates studied (2–40°C/min), the crystallization temperature on cooling curves increased gradually with decrease of Tf, meanwhile, when Tf was in temperature range of 166–179°C where ordered structures survived in the melt (defined as Region II), crystallization activation energy ΔE was found to be evidently lower compared with that when Tf>179°C or Tf < 166°C. The results of subsequent heating showed that occurrence of Ordered Structure Effect can be observed at all the cooling rates studied; the location of the Region II was constant when cooling rate varied; Low cooling rate encouraged formation of more β-phase triggered by ordered structure. Moreover, the role of ordered structure on β-α recrystallization was comparatively studied by tuning the end temperature of recooling (Tend) after held at Tf, and it was found that ordered structure encouraged the formation of β-phase with high thermal stability at low temperature part of Region II, while enhanced the β-crystal with relatively low thermal stability at high temperature part of Region II. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 2016. © 2016 Society of Plastics Engineers

The role of particle surface functionality and microstructure development in isothermal and non-isothermal crystallization behavior of polyamide 6/cellulose nanocrystals nanocomposites

Polyamide 6 (PA6)/cellulose nanocrystal (CNC) and aminopropyl triethoxy silane (APS) - modified CNC nanocomposites were prepared by in situ anionic ring opening polymerization and subsequent melt extrusion. The morphological observation of these hybrid systems revealed that the non-modified nanocrystals developed a network-like fibrillar structure while the APS-modified CNCs were finely dispersed mostly as individual whiskers. The isothermal and non-isothermal crystallization kinetics was extensively studied with emphasis on the effects of CNC surface functionality and the subsequent microstructure development on crystallization behavior of these novel nanocomposite systems. The non-modified CNC particles with corresponding fibrillar microstructure were found significantly hinder the crystallization process and spherultic growth of polyamide 6 chains under both isothermal and non-isothermal conditions. On other hand, the surface modified cellulose nanocrystals with improved sub-micron dispersion enhance crystal nucleation in early stages of crystallization while imposing opposite effect in later stages of crystallization resulting in development of relatively smaller defective spherulitic structures.

Investigation of relationship between crystallization kinetics and interfacial interactions in plasticized poly(lactic acid)/POSS nanocomposites: “Effects of different POSS types”

In this study, the correlation between crystallization behavior and interfacial chemistry of polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (POSS)/poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG)‐plasticized poly(lactic acid) (PLA) nanocomposites was investigated. Four different kinds of POSS particles having different chemical structures were used. The nanocomposites were melt compounded in a twin‐screw microcompounder. Nonisothermal crystallization behavior of PLA/PEG/POSS nanocomposites was evaluated from common kinetic models such as Avrami, Avrami‐Ozawa, and Kissinger. Besides, nucleating activity of the POSS particles was investigated in terms of Dobreva and Gutzow models. It was found that crystallization rate of PLA enhanced in the presence of POSS particles. Ozawa model was failed to describe the nonisothermal crystallization behavior of PLA/PEG/POSS nanocomposites. POSS particles introduced into the PLA/PEG matrix took the role of effective nucleating agents during crystallization. Activation energies of crystallization were evaluated by Kissinger and Takhor method. Polarized optical microscopy analysis showed that the spherulite nucleation density of PLA/PEG/POSS nanocomposites was much higher than that of the neat PLA. In order to investigate the interfacial interactions between POSS particles and plasticized PLA, thermodynamic work of adhesion approach was adopted using the experimentally determined surface energies. A strong correlation was obtained between interfacial chemistry and the nucleation rate in plasticized PLA/POSS nanocomposites. It was found that polar interactions were the dominating factor, which determines the nucleation activity of the POSS particles. POLYM. COMPOS., 39:2674–2684, 2018. © 2016 Society of Plastics Engineers

Temperature dependence of resistivity and crystallization behaviors of amorphous melt-spun ribbon of Mg66Zn30Gd4 alloy

In this paper, the Mg-based Mg66Zn30Gd4 amorphous ribbons were successfully prepared using a single roller melt-spinning technique. Subsequently, the non-isothermal crystallization behaviors of alloy ribbons were investigated by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and resistivity method, and its crystallization process and microstructure were confirmed by X-ray, transmission electron microscope (TEM) and selected area electron diffraction (SAED). The results show that: the negative temperature coefficient of resistivity (TCR) exists in the crystallization process, and the crystallization process of melt-spun Mg66Zn30Gd4 ribbons consists of three steps. The first crystallization reaction at about 385K is connected with the formation of the ICQ-phase, followed by the formation of the Mg7Zn3 binary phase and the Mg3(Gd, Zn) ternary phase (468–538K), and then the formation of the α-Mg phase at about 538K. Furthermore, the formation of the ICQ-phase reflects the heredity of icosahedral local order.

Nonisothermal crystallization behavior and molecular dynamics of poly(lactic acid) plasticized with jojoba oil

Poly(lactic acid) (PLA) containing different contents of jojoba oil (3 and 7 mass%; namely PLA-3JO and PLA-7JO), as natural plasticizer, was prepared via melt compounding. The nonisothermal crystallization behavior of PLA in the presence of jojoba oil was investigated from the glassy state. The obtained results revealed that the rate of crystallization and degree of crystallinity increased with increasing the content of jojoba. The nonisothermal crystallization kinetics was analyzed by the Avrami–Jeziorny model. Avrami exponent (n) of the PLA, PLA-3JO and PLA-7JO was found to be 4.08, 3.28 and 3.09, respectively, suggesting that the nonisothermal cold crystallizations of the plasticized PLA follow a heterogeneous nucleation and three-dimensional spherulitic growth, as occurring in the neat PLA. Furthermore, the activation energy of nonisothermal crystallization process (ΔE a) was calculated as a function of blend composition based on the Kissinger equation. It was found that the ΔE a of PLA insignificantly changed in the presence of jojoba oil. The dielectric properties of totally amorphous and crystallized plasticized PLA were also investigated for the α-relaxation process as a function of the temperature and frequency. The α-relaxation process was analyzed with Havriliak–Negami and Vogel–Fulcher–Tammann models, and fitting parameters with their evolution were discussed.

Investigation on Viscosity and Nonisothermal Crystallization Behavior of P-Bearing Steelmaking Slags with Varying TiO2 Content

The viscous flow and crystallization behavior of CaO-SiO2-MgO-Al2O3-FetO-P2O5-TiO2 steelmaking slags have been investigated over a wide range of temperatures under Ar (High purity, >99.999 pct) atmosphere, and the relationship between viscosity and structure was determined. The results indicated that the viscosity of the slags slightly decreased with increasing TiO2 content. The constructed nonisothermal continuous cooling transformation (CCT) diagrams revealed that the addition of TiO2 lowered the crystallization temperature. This can mainly be ascribed to that addition of TiO2 promotes the formation of [TiO6]-octahedra units and, consequently, the formation of MgFe2O4-Mg2TiO4 solid solution. Moreover, the decreasing viscosity has a significant effect on enhancing the diffusion of ion units, such as Ca2+ and [TiO4]-tetrahedra, from bulk melts to the crystal–melt interface. The crystallization of CaTiO3 and CaSiTiO5 was consequently accelerated, which can improve the phosphorus content in P-enriched phase (n2CaO·SiO2-3CaO·P2O5). Finally, the nonisothermal crystallization kinetics was characterized and the activation energy for the primary crystal growth was derived such that the activation energy increases from −265.93 to −185.41 KJ·mol−1 with the addition of TiO2 content, suggesting that TiO2 lowered the tendency for the slags to crystallize.

Nonisothermal Crystallization and Melting Behaviors of PP/PA6/TiO2 Nanocomposites

ABSTRACTTitanium dioxide nanoparticles were functionalized with toluene-2,4-diisocyanate and then polypropylene/polyamide 6 blends containing functionalized titanium dioxide were prepared using a twin-screw extruder. The nonisothermal crystallization and melting behaviors of the as-prepared nanocomposites were investigated using differential scanning calorimetry. The nonisothermal crystallization differential scanning calorimetry data were analyzed by the modified-Avrami (Jeziorny) and combination of Ozawa and Avrami (Mo) methods. It can be found that the Jeziorny method can be used to describe the main crystallization process, and the Mo method can better deal with nonisothermal crystallization kinetics of the polypropylene and polyamide 6 phase in polypropylene/polyamide 6-based nanocomposites. The nonisothermal crystallization analysis shows that the titanium dioxide nanoparticles have two effects on polypropylene/polyamide 6 blends, i.e., it can favor the improvement of crystallization ability and decrease the crystallization rate of the polypropylene and polyamide 6 phase in polypropylene/polyamide 6-based nanocomposites. For one thing, the functionalized titanium dioxide nanoparticles in the polypropylene/polyamide 6-based nanocomposites act as effective nucleation agents and result in higher crystallization temperature (T0) than that of the polypropylene and polyamide 6 in pure polypropylene/polyamide 6 blends, which indicated titanium dioxide nanoparticles favor the improvement of crystallization ability of the polypropylene and polyamide 6 phase. For another, the existence of functionalized titanium dioxide nanoparticles hinders the free movement of polymer chains and results in lower crystallinity than that of the polypropylene and polyamide 6 in pure polypropylene/polyamide 6 blends, which indicated titanium dioxide nanoparticles decrease the crystallization rate of the polypropylene and polyamide 6 phase in polypropylene/polyamide 6-based nanocomposites. The nonisothermal crystallization melting behaviors show that there is single or double melting peak, which varies with different cooling rates for the polyamide 6 phase in polypropylene/polyamide 6-based nanocomposites. Multiple melting peak is mainly caused by the different crystalline structure of the polyamide 6 phase, the melting peak I is mainly caused by γ crystal of the polyamide 6 phase, while the melting peak II corresponds to the thermodynamic stability of α crystal. Besides, the recrystallization of the polyamide 6 phase in the heating process, and the effect of the incorporation of the titanium dioxide nanoparticles may have some contributions to the appeared multiple melting peak of the polyamide 6 phase in the polypropylene/polyamide 6-based nanocomposites.

Structure and crystallization behavior of poly(ethylene oxide)/Ti3C2Tx MXene nanocomposites

MXenes represent a new family of 2D transition metal carbides and/or carbides that has attracted a great deal of attention in various applications because of their unique electrical, thermal, and mechanical properties. In this work, we report on the structure and crystallization behavior of poly(ethylene oxide)(PEO)/MXene nanocomposites. MXene Ti3C2Tx (where T is a surface termination) was synthesized and used as the nanofiller to form polymer nanocomposites using a solution blending method. Their morphologies, structures and crystallization behaviors were investigated using transmission electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, polarized light microscopy, wide-angle X-ray diffraction and differential scanning calorimetry. Both non-isothermal and isothermal crystallization behaviors were studied. We show that the presence of 2D Ti3C2Tx accelerates PEO crystallization at very low MXene contents, while it inhibits PEO crystallization as the loading increases. The fastest crystallization rate was observed at 0.5 wt% MXene content. This was attributed to the competition of nucleation and confinement effect of the 2D filler.

Non-isothermal crystallization behavior of U-based amorphous alloy

The non-isothermal crystallization behavior of uranium-based amorphous alloy U64Co28.5Al7.5 was investigated by using differential scanning calorimetry. Its kinetic fragility parameter, overall crystallization activation energy and Kauzmann temperature were determined to be 28, 234 kJ/mol and 580 K, respectively. The evolution of the crystallization activation energy with the volume fraction crystallized, which was established by both the Kissinger and Ozawa methods independently, suggests a typical three-staged process for the crystallization. As reflected by the change of the local Avrami exponent with the fraction crystallized, nucleation dominates the whole process that can be illustrated phenomenologically with the percolation model. This work is helpful for understanding the formation and thermal stability of U-based amorphous alloys, and also for the development of new materials of this kind.

Confined crystallization kinetics and scale of semicrystalline block copolymer via non-isothermal method

In this paper, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) was used to study non-isothermal crystallization behaviors of tri-block copolymer poly(styrene)-b-poly(ethylene oxide)-b-poly(styrene) (SEOS). Homopolymer poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) with almost the same molecular weight as PEO block was also studied comparatively under non-isothermal conditions. From final degree of crystalline X c and given degree of polymerization N, relative degree of crystalline X t at different kinetics stage was changed to be monomer units numbers involved in crystallization process. Based on well-recognized model of PEO crystalline structure, X t at specific stage can be used to calculate the scales of PEO crystalline. Comparing the crystallization behaviors of SEOS with those of PEO, it is indicated that confinement from solidified PS block restricts the mobility of PEO chain to form a pre-ordered structure in initial stage and decreases its lamellae thickness of nucleus that dominates the whole crystallization process.

Influences of molecular weight on the non-isothermal crystallization and melting behavior of β-nucleated isotactic polypropylene with different melt structures

Previous studies reported that by tuning the fusion temperature T f (i.e., controlling the melt structure), the β-nucleation efficiency of β-nucleated isotactic polypropylene (β-iPP) can be greatly enhanced, which was called ordered structure effect (OSE). The aim of this study is to investigate the roles of melt structures and molecular weight in non-isothermal crystallization behavior of β-iPP. Five samples with different molecular weights were prepared, and their melt structures were controlled using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) by tuning T f (T f = 200 or 170 °C represent the case of without or with OSE, respectively). Results revealed that for all the samples, the lower the PP molecular weight, the lower the crystallization peak temperature T c, and the higher the activation energy ΔE, but the occurrence of OSE behavior (i.e., T f = 170 °C) can elevate T c, reduces ΔE and encourages crystallization. The decrease of PP molecular weight decreases β-phase proportion no matter OSE occurs or not; moreover, for PP with high molecular weight, OSE behavior not only enhances the β-phase proportion, but also increases the thermal stability of the β-phase; however, for samples with low molecular weight, OSE behavior enhances the β-phase proportion in a larger extent, and decreases the thermal stability of the β-phase. This study provided important understandings in the effect of OSE, cooling rate and PP molecular weight the β-crystallization of iPP.

Crystallization and Solid-State Structure of Poly(l-2-hydroxy-3-methylbutanoic acid)

The side-chain-substituted poly(lactic acid)s (substituted PLAs) have attracted much attention as novel bio-based polymers, but their possibility as crystalline polymeric materials still remains unknown. In this study, the crystallization behavior and solid-state structure are comprehensively investigated for poly(l-2-hydroxy-3-methylbutanoic acid) [P(L-2H3MB)] with Mn = 6.2 × 104, i.e., stereoregular substituted PLA having isopropyl side chains. The equilibrium melting temperature of P(L-2H3MB) is 240 °C, which is significantly higher than that of poly(l-lactic acid) (PLLA) (≈200 °C). In addition, the isothermal and nonisothermal crystallization behaviors show that the crystallization of P(L-2H3MB) is extremely faster than that of PLLA. X-ray diffraction results suggest that P(L-2H3MB) has two or more crystal modifications, but only one modification appears with a high crystallinity (≈60%) when melt-crystallized at 155–180 °C.

Effect of functionalization on non-isothermal crystallization behavior of polypropylene

ABSTRACTThe non-isothermal crystallization kinetics of three functionalized polypropylenes (PPs; polypropylenes-g-acrylic acid [PP-g-AA], polypropylenes-g-glycidyl methacrylate [PP-g-GMA], polypropylenes-g-maleic anhydride [PP-g-MAH]) at different cooling rates were investigated by differential scanning calorimetry, using the Jeziorny method, Ozawa method, and Mo method. The result showed that Mo method can adequately describe the non-isothermal crystallization kinetics of pure PP and functionalized PPs, and at a given relative crystallinity, the crystallization rate obtained using Mo method followed an order of PP-g-AA > PP-g-GMA > PP > PP-g-MAH. The crystallization activation energy for these samples was calculated using Kissinger's method, which indicated that the introduction of monomers had a confinement effect on the motion of PP chains.

Effect of β‐nucleating agent on the crystallization, mechanical properties, and heat resistance of impact‐resistant propylene–ethylene copolymer

In this study, β‐nucleated impact‐resistant propylene–ethylene copolymer (IPC) samples were prepared via melt compounding. The effect of β‐nucleating agents (β‐NAs: NT‐A and NT‐C) on the nonisothermal crystallization and melting behaviors of IPC was investigated by means of differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). Spherulitic morphology, mechanical properties and heat resistance of the samples were investigated. The nonisothermal crystallization kinetics was analyzed by Mo's method and the crystallization activation energy was calculated by Kissinger's method. The results show that the content of β‐crystals and the crystallization rate of the β‐nucleated IPCs are greater than those of the neat IPC, indicating that NT‐C is more efficient than NT‐A as a β‐NA. It is also found that the addition of β‐NAs decreases the size and increases the number of spherulites significantly. The Izod notched impact strength and heat deflection temperature (HDT) of IPC are also improved by β‐NAs, accompanied with marginal loss of tensile strength. It is found that the β‐α phase transition occurred during the HDT tests for β‐ nucleated IPCs. It is also indicated that Mo's method well describes the nonisothermal crystallization kinetics of the samples. The addition of β‐NAs remarkably decreases the activation energy of nonisothermal crystallization of IPC. J. VINYL ADDIT. TECHNOL., 24:E36–E47, 2018. © 2016 Society of Plastics Engineers

Effects of stereo-defect distribution and molecular mass in the non-isothermal crystallization behavior of β-nucleated isotactic polypropylene

ABSTRACTIn this study, based on the synthesis of two Ziegler–Natta iPP with nearly same average isotacticity but different uniformities of stereo-defect distribution, we further prepared two series of β-iPP with different molecular masses by addition of different concentration of peroxide. We investigated the combination effects of stereo-defect distribution and molecular mass on the non-isothermal crystallization behavior and polymorphic composition behavior of β-iPP by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), wide-angle X-ray diffraction (WAXD), and scanning electron microscope (SEM). The results of non-isothermal crystallization kinetics revealed that the iPP molecular mass has only slight influence on the crystallization temperature of β-iPP, while the uniformity of stereo-defect distribution not only evidently influences the crystallization temperature, but also affects the dependency of crystallization temperature on cooling rate. β-iPP with less uniformity of stereo-defect distribution leads to higher dependency of crystallization temperature on the cooling rate. The calculation of crystallization activation energy ΔE showed that the lower the molecular mass, the lower the ΔE, indicating that it is easier for the occurrence of crystallization. Meanwhile, iPP with more uniform stereo-defect distribution has lower ΔE. Moreover, both stereo-defect distribution and molecular mass are important factors in determining the polymorphic composition. A more uniform stereo-defect distribution is more favorable for the β-phase crystallization; the lower the molecular mass, the harder for β-phase crystallization to take place. However, compared with iPP molecular mass, the uniformity of stereo-defect distribution is the first-order factor in determining the β-phase crystallization of iPP. Moreover, the thermal stability and the dependency of β-phase proportion on the cooling rate are also found to be highly dependent on the iPP molecular mass.

Enhanced nonisothermal and isothermal cold crystallization kinetics of biodegradable poly(l‐lactide) by trisilanolisobutyl‐polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxanes in their nanocomposites

ABSTRACTIn this work, the nonisothermal and isothermal cold crystallization behaviors of poly(l‐lactide) (PLLA)/trisilanolisobutyl‐polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxanes (tsib‐POSS) nanocomposites with low tsib‐POSS contents were fully investigated. For all the samples, the variations of heating rate and the tsib‐POSS loading may influence the nonisothermal cold crystallization of PLLA. During the nonisothermal crystallization kinetics study, the Ozawa equation failed to fit the nonisothermal crystallization process of PLLA, while the Tobin equation could fit it well. For the isothermal crystallization kinetics study, the crystallization rates of all the samples increased with increasing crystallization temperature. The cold crystallization activation energy of PLLA was increased with 1 wt % tsib‐POSS. Moreover, the addition of tsib‐POSS and the increment of tsib‐POSS loading could increase the crystallization rate of PLLA, indicating the nucleating agent effect of tsib‐POSS. However, the crystallization mechanism and crystal structure of PLLA remained unchanged in the nanocomposites. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2016, 133, 43896.

Opposite role of different carbon fiber reinforcements on the non-isothermal crystallization behavior of poly(etheretherketone)

A non-isothermal crystallization study on two different 30%w carbon fiber (PAN and pitch-based) reinforced PEEK was performed by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), aiming to provide more information on PEEK crystallization behavior in the presence of reinforcements. Melt crystallization was performed by cooling down the CFR-PEEK samples from the molten state with different cooling rates (from 2 to 50 °C/min). Samples were subsequently heated up again at 400 °C at 20 °C/min to evaluate any potential differentiation in the created crystal structures. The same experiments were run also for unfilled PEEK, taken as reference. Crystallization kinetics (with Avrami and Avrami-Ozawa approaches), and activation energies (according to Friedman method) were evaluated. The results showed that the cooling rate influences crystal growth and morphology but also, more importantly, that fiber type affects the crystallization mechanisms, either favoring or hindering polymer crystallization, depending on the fiber characteristics, geometry and density. Overall, these observations suggest that accurate fiber selection and processing conditions set up have to be chosen to ensure an optimal polymer morphology.

Nonisothermal melt crystallization of PHB/babassu compounds

Poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) (PHB)/babassu compounds were prepared in a laboratory internal mixer with 10, 30, and 50 % by mass of fiber content. Nonisothermal melt crystallization behavior of PHB/babassu compounds was investigated using differential scanning calorimetry, and crystallization parameters were determined at cooling rates ranging between 2 and 32 °C min−1. Adding babassu fiber affected the melt crystallization behavior of PHB, and increasing filler content from 10 to 30 % has significant effects on the thermal characteristics of the system. Further increase in filler content from 30 to 50 % filler content has no effect on crystallization temperature and rate, but it has important positive consequences, once there is a considerably latitude in choosing the actual filler level in highly loaded PHB/babassu compounds without affecting processing characteristics. The melt crystallization kinetics of PHB/babassu compounds was analyzed by three empirical models widely used to represent nonisothermal polymer crystallization data: Pseudo-Avrami, Ozawa, and Mo. Kinetics analyses indicate that the Pseudo-Avrami model represented well the experimental data for both compounds in a wide interval of temperature, conversion, and cooling rates; the Ozawa model with two different sets of parameters, for low and high cooling rates, was found to correlate the data equally well, but over limited ranges of the variables, and the model proposed by Mo and collaborators did not adequately represent the experimental data for the systems and conditions tested.

Thermal behavior of modified poly(L-lactic acid): effect of aromatic multiamide derivative based on 1H-benzotriazole

Abstract The goal of this work was to synthesis a novel aromatic multiamide derivative based on 1H-benzotriazole (PB) as an organic nucleating agent for poly(L-lactic acid) (PLLA), and investigate the effect of PB on the non-isothermal crystallization, melting behavior and thermal decomposition of PLLA. Here, PB was firstly synthesized through 1H-benzotriazole aceto-hydrazide and terephthaloyl chloride, then PB-nucleated PLLA was fabricated via melt-blending technology at various PB concentration from 0.5 wt% to 3 wt%. Finally, the thermal performances were evaluated through differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The high thermal decomposition temperature of PB indicated that PB possessed possibility as a nucleating agent for PLLA, and the non-isothermal crystallization behavior confirmed the crystallization accelerating effectiveness of PB for PLLA. Upon optimum concentration of 2 wt%, the onset crystallization temperature, the crystallization peak temperature and the non-isothermal crystallization enthalpy increased from 101.4°C, 94.5°C and 0.1 J·g-1 to 121.3°C, 115.8°C and 35.1 J·g-1, respectively. In addition, the non-isothermal crystallization behavior was also affected by the cooling rate and the final melting temperature. The melting behavior further evidenced the advanced nucleating ability of PB, and the competitive relationship between PB and the heating rate, the nuclear rate and crystal growth rate. Thermal stability measurement showed that PB with a concentration of 1 wt%–2 wt% could slightly improve the thermal stability of PLLA.