Toughening of Poly(L-lactide) with Blends of Poly(ε-caprolactone-co-L-lactide) in the Presence of Chain Extender

A poly(ε-caprolactone-co-L-lactide) copolyester was synthesized and employed to toughen poly(L-lactide) (PLLA) by reactive melt blending in the presence of an epoxy-based chain extender. The effects of chain extension reaction and copolyester content on properties of PLLA-based blends were studied....

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Yaowalak Srisuwan, Yodthong Baimark, Supakij Suttiruengwong
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2018-01-01
Series:International Journal of Biomaterials
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2018/1294397
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:A poly(ε-caprolactone-co-L-lactide) copolyester was synthesized and employed to toughen poly(L-lactide) (PLLA) by reactive melt blending in the presence of an epoxy-based chain extender. The effects of chain extension reaction and copolyester content on properties of PLLA-based blends were studied. The chain extension reaction reduced crystallinity and melt flow index of PLLA/copolyester blends. Meanwhile the copolyester blending improved the crystallinities of the chain-extended PLLA up to 20 wt% copolyester. The phase compatibility between PLLA matrix and dispersed copolyester phases was enhanced by the chain extension reaction. The impact strength of chain-extended PLLA increased with the contents of copolyester and chain extender.
ISSN:1687-8787
1687-8795