Fully Bio-Based, Tough, and Room-Temperature Shape Adaptive Poly(lactic acid) Blend for Green Electronics.

ABSTRACTFulvic acid–poly(methylmethacrylate) graft copolymers were synthesized by surface-initiated atom transfer radical polymerization with fulvic acid. The result demonstrated that the hydrophobicity of fulvic acid–poly(methylmethacrylate) was improved after modification by surface-initiated atom transfer radical polymerization. Furthermore, poly(lactic acid)/fulvic acid–poly(methylmethacrylate) composites were prepared to improve the performances of poly(lactic acid) by blend melting. Compared to poly(lactic acid) with Xc of 5.38%, the Xc of poly(lactic acid)/fulvic acid–poly(methylmethacrylate) composites was 19.94%. Moreover, the impact strength of poly(lactic acid)/fulvic acid–poly(methylmethacrylate) composites was increased by 5.19% compared to poly(lactic acid). In all, this study provided an effective and feasible method for optimizing interface performance and enhancing the thermal stability of poly(lactic acid).

Environmental problems, such as global warming and plastic pollution have forced researchers to investigate alternatives for conventional plastics. Poly(lactic acid) (PLA), one of the well-known eco-friendly biodegradables and biobased polyesters, has been studied extensively and is considered to be a promising substitute to petroleum-based polymers. This review gives an inclusive overview of the current research of lactic acid and lactide dimer techniques along with the production of PLA from its monomers. Melt polycondensation as well as ring opening polymerization techniques are discussed, and the effect of various catalysts and polymerization conditions is thoroughly presented. Reaction mechanisms are also reviewed. However, due to the competitive decomposition reactions, in the most cases low or medium molecular weight (MW) of PLA, not exceeding 20,000–50,000 g/mol, are prepared. For this reason, additional procedures such as solid state polycondensation (SSP) and chain extension (CE) reaching MW ranging from 80,000 up to 250,000 g/mol are extensively investigated here. Lastly, numerous practical applications of PLA in various fields of industry, technical challenges and limitations of PLA use as well as its future perspectives are also reported in this review.

Objective(s): Nowadays, tendency to use green materials can reduce environmental pollution and plastic waste. Poly (lactic Acid) PLA is one of the natural biodegradable polymers mainly used in the production of bioplastics for packaging which is made of non-toxic compounds and is easily biodegradable. In this research, the effect of 1, 3 and 5% nanocomposite zinc oxide on the morphological, mechanical properties and chemicals interaction of poly-lactic acid films was investigated.Methods: To study morphological structure of nanocomposites, scanning electron microscope (SEM) was used. For evaluating the mechanical properties of films, tensile strength, elongation at break and young's modulus were measured by the ASTM D882 standard. Also, The Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) spectrum of films with PERKIN ELMER 1650, FT-IR spectrophotometer was recorded.Results: Morphological shows that zinc oxide nanoparticles are well distributed in polymer matrix in all nanocomposite samples. It is clear from the result of mechanical properties that the Young’s modulus was increased significantly (p<0.05) when the percentage of zinc oxide in the poly-lactic acid film increased from 1% to 5%. The tensile strength values of films zinc oxide nanocomposites were significantly (p <0.05) less than the control film. Also, elongation at break was no statistically significant. In the investigation of FTIR spectra, the percentage of created bonds between nanozinc oxide and poly lactic acid are increased by enhancing the percentage of nanozinc oxide.Conclusions: Due to the good functional mechanical and morphological properties of PLA-nanozinc oxide films, they can be employed for various packaging.

Poly(lactic acid)/polycarbonate blends were prepared by melt mixing. The transesterification reaction between poly(lactic acid) and polycarbonate was promoted by using tetrabutyl titanate as a catalyst. For poly(lactic acid)/polycarbonate (weight ratio of 75/25) blend with catalyst content up to 0.5 wt%, polycarbonate particles finely dispersed in the poly(lactic acid) matrix and the adhesion between the phases were improved, due to the enhanced compatibility by transesterification reaction. The blends were foamed by using batch-foaming process with CO2 as the blowing agent. Cell density of poly(lactic acid)/polycarbonate blend increased at low-catalyst content, while decreased at high-catalyst content, which was due to the changes of interfacial properties of blend phases through transesterification reaction and crystallinity of polycarbonate component. Cell types of poly(lactic acid)/polycarbonate blends were transferred from submicro-sized and even nanoscale cells to microscale cells by the deceased crystallinity of poly(lactic acid) component, which was caused by the increased degree of transesterification reaction and temperature. The declined viscosity of poly(lactic acid)/polycarbonate blend because of degradation during blend processing led to large cell size and low-cell density. However, the improvement of elasticity and viscosity of poly(lactic acid)/polycarbonate blend by transesterification reaction could decrease the cell size.

For the purpose of the development of poly(lactic acid)/graphene oxide composites with improved tensile properties, a stearic acid compatibilizer was used to enhance the compatibility of the graphene oxide sheets with the poly(lactic acid) polymer matrix. Graphene oxide was modified with stearic acid at different mass ratios of 1:1, 1:3, and 1:5 prior to forming the composites with poly(lactic acid). Characterization showed positive effects of stearic acid attached to GO in every mass ratio and also enhanced compatibility with the poly(lactic acid) matrix. Stearic acid could strengthen the interfacial interactions between the flat graphene oxide sheets and the poly(lactic acid) matrix resulting in improved tensile strength. The tensile strength of the poly(lactic acid)/graphene oxide/stearic acid composite with a mass ratio of graphene oxide and stearic acid 1:1 increased by 32% compared to poly(lactic acid) alone. Based on these results, the graphene oxide/stearic acid composites show potential for use as nanosheet fillers for tensile strength enhancement in poly(lactic acid). POLYM. COMPOS., 38:2272–2282, 2017. © 2015 Society of Plastics Engineers

ABSTRACTPoly (lactic acid) is considered to be a promising alternative to petroleum-based polymers due to its renewability, biodegradability, biocompatibility, and good mechanical properties. Because of the high cost, the applications of poly (lactic acid) were limited to the medical field. Over the past decade, improvements in polymerization allow the economical mass production of high molecular weight poly (lactic acid). Therefore, the applications of poly (lactic acid) have recently spread to domestic, commercial packaging, and textile applications. This review outlines the chemical, thermal characteristics of poly (lactic acid) and discusses the use of poly (lactic acid) in medical applications such as sutures, stents, drug carrier, orthopaedic devices, scaffolds, as well as commercial applications in textile and packaging fields with superior properties such as high wicking performance, good dyeability, antibacterial feature, good ultraviolet resistance, high water vapor transmission rates, shrink wrapping, and dead fold property. While the drawbacks of poly (lactic acid) utilized in these fields are also discussed. It is clear that the advantages of using poly (lactic acid) outlined in this review will ensure that the market for poly (lactic acid) products will continue to expand.

An innovative functional compatibility strategy for poly (lactic acid) and polypropylene carbonate blends to achieve superior toughness, degradability, and optical properties

In this study, flame-retardant poly(lactic acid) foams with satisfactory cell structures were prepared by microcellular foaming technology using phosphorus-containing flame retardant and graphene as the charring agent. The introduction of 5–30 wt% flame retardant increased the limited oxygen index value of poly(lactic acid) from 19.0 to 26.5–37.8% and simultaneously increased the foam expansion of poly(lactic acid) foams from 4.4 to 5.8–17.5. In addition, all the prepared poly(lactic acid)/flame-retardant composites passed the UL-94 V-0 rating. The addition of 0.5 wt% graphene increased the limited oxygen index value of poly(lactic acid)/flame-retardant composite with flame-retardant content of 15 wt% from 27.9 to 29.2%, and more graphene additions improved the antidripping behavior of poly(lactic acid) composites. The possible mechanisms of the effects of the resultant cellular structure on the flame-retardant properties of poly(lactic acid) composites were also discussed.

This article presents the results of a study of the processing and physicomechanical properties of environmentally friendly wood‐fiber‐reinforced poly(lactic acid) composites that were produced with a microcompounding molding system. Wood‐fiber‐reinforced polypropylene composites were also processed under similar conditions and were compared to wood‐fiber‐reinforced poly(lactic acid) composites. The mechanical, thermomechanical, and morphological properties of these composites were studied. In terms of the mechanical properties, the wood‐fiber‐reinforced poly(lactic acid) composites were comparable to conventional polypropylene‐based thermoplastic composites. The mechanical properties of the wood‐fiber‐reinforced poly(lactic acid) composites were significantly higher than those of the virgin resin. The flexural modulus (8.9 GPa) of the wood‐fiber‐reinforced poly(lactic acid) composite (30 wt % fiber) was comparable to that of traditional (i.e., wood‐fiber‐reinforced polypropylene) composites (3.4 GPa). The incorporation of the wood fibers into poly(lactic acid) resulted in a considerable increase in the storage modulus (stiffness) of the resin. The addition of the maleated polypropylene coupling agent improved the mechanical properties of the composites. Microstructure studies using scanning electron microscopy indicated significant interfacial bonding between the matrix and the wood fibers. The specific performance evidenced by the wood‐fiber‐reinforced poly(lactic acid) composites may hint at potential applications in, for example, the automotive and packaging industries. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 102: 4856–4869, 2006

Improvement of mechanical and impact performance of poly(lactic acid) by renewable modified natural rubber

Large-scale manufacturing of ultra-strong, strain-responsive poly(lactic acid)-based nanocomposites reinforced with cellulose nanocrystals

In this study, blends of poly(lactic acid) (PLA)/linear medium density polyethylene (LMDPE) at different weight ratios were prepared by rotational molding. Two mixing strategies were used to evaluate the effect of phase dispersion on the physical and mechanical properties: (i) Dry-blending (DB) using a high shear mixer, and (ii) melt-blending (MB) using a twin-screw extruder. Thermal, morphological, and mechanical analyses were performed on the neat polymers and their blends. The thermal analysis was completed by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and the blends prepared by MB had lower thermal stability than the ones prepared via DB due to some thermo-oxidative degradation through the double thermal process (extrusion and rotomolding). The morphology of the rotomolded parts showed that DB generated larger particle sizes (around 500 µm) compared to MB (around 5 µm) due to the shear and elongational stresses applied during extrusion. The tensile and flexural properties of the rotomolded parts combined the PLA stiffness with the LMDPE toughness independent of the blending technique. Neat PLA presented increments in tensile strength (54%) and flexural strength (111%) for DB compared with MB. A synergistic effect in impact strength was observed in blends with 12 and 25 wt. % of PLA prepared by DB.

ABSTRACTHumic acid amide (HA-amide) was prepared by amidation of HA and dodecylamine (DDA) with carbonyl diimidazole (CDI) as coupling reagent. Furthermore, HA-amide was added to poly (lactic acid) (PLA) as a nucleating agent to prepare poly (lactic acid)/humic acid amide composites (PLA/HA-amide) by melt blending. The structure and performance of PLA/HA-amide composites were investigated by thermogravimetric analysis (TG), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), polarized optical microscopy (POM), and rheological analysis. Non-isothermal crystallization kinetics showed the HA-amide enhanced the crystallization rate of PLA. The results of crystallization behavior of PLA/HA-amide composites showed that HA-amide was an efficient nucleating agent of PLA.

Polymer composites based on polylactic acid (PLA) reinforced with 0.25-5 wt.% of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) were synthesized by melt blending. The static (DC) and microwave (RF) electrical conductivity have been investigated on the PLA-CNT composites. The electrical percolation threshold has been theoretically determined using classical models of percolation in order to predict the conductivity of the different nanocomposites. Through the fitting process, it has been found that the percolation threshold is obtained at 1 wt.% of CNTs in the DC regime and reached below 0.25 wt.% of CNTs in the microwave regime. Among the Mamunya, McLachlan, or GEM models, the McCullough model remarkably fits the experimental DC and RF electrical conductivities. The obtained results are correlated to the electrical properties of a range of CNT-based composites, corresponding to the percolation threshold required for a three-dimensional network of CNTs into the polymer matrix.

Comprehensive exploration of natural degradation of poly(lactic acid) blends in various degradation media: A review