Development of polylactide bead foams with double crystal melting peaks

Poly (lactic acid) blends: Processing, properties and applications

Poly (lactic acid) or polylactide (PLA) is a commercial biobased, biodegradable, biocompatible, compostable and non-toxic polymer that has competitive material and processing costs and desirable mechanical properties. Thereby, it can be considered favorably for biomedical applications and as the most promising substitute for petroleum-based polymers in a wide range of commodity and engineering applications. However, PLA has some significant shortcomings such as low melt strength, slow crystallization rate, poor processability, high brittleness, low toughness, and low service temperature, which limit its applications. To overcome these limitations, blending PLA with other polymers is an inexpensive approach that could also tailor the final properties of PLA-based products. During the last two decades, researchers investigated the synthesis, processing, properties, and development of various PLA-based blend systems including miscible blends of poly l-lactide (PLLA) and poly d-lactide (PDLA), which generate stereocomplex crystals, binary immiscible/miscible blends of PLA with other thermoplastics, multifunctional ternary blends using a third polymer or fillers such as nanoparticles, as well as PLA-based blend foam systems. This article reviews all these investigations and compares the syntheses/processing-morphology-properties interrelationships in PLA-based blends developed so far for various applications.

Foaming and thermal characteristics of bio-based polylactic acid–thermoplastic polyurethane blends

This paper reports a research work on characterization of foamed biocompatible polylactic acid–thermoplastic polyurethane blends in terms of microstructural, thermal, and physical properties. The brittleness of the polylactic acid is compensated via blending with an elastoplastic phase of thermoplastic polyurethane. A range of low bulk density foam with a high cell density was produced in a solid state foaming process. Addition of thermoplastic polyurethane phase acted against the cell growth and thus foam expansion, apparently due to its inherent lower storage modulus, which weakens the polymer matrix and leads to gas escape phenomenon. Evaluation of thermal properties showed a tangible effect of blending and foaming process on crystallization of the specimens, which confirmed that the sensitivity of polylactic acid’s crystallinity to CO2 gas saturation was reduced as a result of thermoplastic polyurethane addition. Measurement of cell diameters and cell densities of the foamed samples demonstrated formation of the fine closed cells structure as a result of suitable foaming parameters that were able to deal with stiffness and strength of the polymeric matrix.

Preparation, Foaming and Characterization of Poly(l-lactic acid))/Poly(d-lactic acid)-Grafted Graphite Oxide Blends

Commercial poly(l-lactic acid) (PLLA) was blended with different contents of graphene oxide-graft-poly(d-lactic acid) (GO-g-PDLA), which was synthesized via ring-opening polymerization using modified GO as initiator. PLLA and PLLA/GO-g-PDLA blend foams were prepared in a batch process via varying-temperature mode using supercritical carbon dioxide as physical foaming agent. The results showed that the addition of GO-g-PDLA in PLLA leads to the formation of stereocomplex (sc)-crystallites. Increase in the GO-g-PDLA content enhances the IR absorption, diffraction peak and melting peak corresponding to the sc-crystallites. The addition of GO-g-PDLA to PLLA leads to the decrease of the cell diameter, increase of the cell density and to a little change in expansion ratio, which is attributed to the fact that the enhancement of PLLA crystallization restricts cell growth and GO-g-PDLA acts as nucleation point.

Multiple actions of poly(ethylene octene) grafted with glycidyl methacrylate on the performance of poly(lactic acid)

Poly(ethylene octene) grafted with glycidyl methacrylate (POE-g-GMA) was employed to improve the rheological and thermal properties, toughness, and foaming behaviors of poly(lactic acid) (PLA) through a chain extension effect.

Preparation of Desirable Porous Cell Structure Polylactide/Wood Flour Composite Foams Assisted by Chain Extender

Polylactide (PLA)/wood flour composite foam were prepared through a batch foaming process. The effect of the chain extender on the crystallization behavior and dynamic rheological properties of the PLA/wood flour composites were investigated as well as the crystal structure and cell morphology of the composite foams. The incorporation of the chain extender enhanced the complex viscosity and storage modulus of PLA/wood flour composites, indicating the improved melt elasticity. The chain extender also led to a decreased crystallization rate and final crystallinity of PLA/wood flour composites. With an increasing chain extender content, a finer and more uniform cell structure was formed, and the expansion ratio of PLA/wood flour composite foams was much higher than without the chain extender. Compared to the unfoamed composites, the crystallinity of the foamed PLA/wood flour composites was improved and the crystal was loosely packed. However, the new crystalline form was not evident.

Introduction of a long-chain branching structure by ultraviolet-induced reactive extrusion to improve cell morphology and processing properties of polylactide foam

Long-chain branching structure introduced by UV-induced reactive extrusion could widen its foaming processing window.

Supercritical CO₂ Foaming of Radiation Cross-Linked Isotactic Polypropylene in the Presence of TAIC

Since the maximum foaming temperature window is only about 4 °C for supercritical CO₂ (scCO₂) foaming of pristine polypropylene, it is important to raise the melt strength of polypropylene in order to more easily achieve scCO₂ foaming. In this work, radiation cross-linked isotactic polypropylene, assisted by the addition of a polyfunctional monomer (triallylisocyanurate, TAIC), was employed in the scCO₂ foaming process in order to understand the benefits of radiation cross-linking. Due to significantly enhanced melt strength and the decreased degree of crystallinity caused by cross-linking, the scCO₂ foaming behavior of polypropylene was dramatically changed. The cell size distribution, cell diameter, cell density, volume expansion ratio, and foaming rate of radiation-cross-linked polypropylene under different foaming conditions were analyzed and compared. It was found that radiation cross-linking favors the foamability and formation of well-defined cell structures. The optimal absorbed dose with the addition of 2 wt % TAIC was 30 kGy. Additionally, the foaming temperature window was expanded to about 8 °C, making the handling of scCO₂ foaming of isotactic polypropylene much easier.

Development of high-porosity resorcinol formaldehyde aerogels with enhanced mechanical properties through improved particle necking under CO2 supercritical conditions

A new high porosity resorcinol-formaldehyde (RF) aerogel with improved particle necking is presented in this work. This RF aerogel was developed under CO₂ supercritical drying conditions without any structural shrinkage. The water content and the catalyst percentage were varied to modify the particles' nucleation and growth mechanisms and to control particle-particle connections. The nucleation mechanism solely dependent on the initial catalyst percentage; the number of nuclei increased with the catalyst percentage. However, the growth and connection of the particles dependent on both the water content and the catalyst percentage through their effect on the pH value. As the water content increased to have a larger void fraction, the pH value decreased. Consequently, the spherical growth of the particles became dominant and, thereby, the connection of the particles became more difficult. But as the catalyst percentage increased, the pH value increased, and the connection of the particles became facilitated with the formation of necks around the particles. As a result, the semi-fibril-like structure was developed with a high void fraction. A 30% increase in the structural elasticity and a very low thermal conductivity of 0.0249W/mK were obtained.