New PP/PLA/cellulose composites: effect of cellulose functionalization on accelerated weathering behavior (accelerated weathering behavior of new PP/PLA/cellulose composites)

Polylactic acid (PLA) was used as partial replacement for conventional thermoplastic matrix, new composites comprising cellulose, polypropylene (PP), and PLA being realized. In order to obtain a compatible interface between cellulosic pulp and polymeric matrix, two chemical modifications of cellulose with stearoyl chloride and toluene di‐isocyanate (TDI) were performed, structural changes being evidenced by X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The composite materials were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, dynamic scanning calorimetry, impact, tensile and melt rheological tests, surface tension, and dynamic vapor sorption. Because promising results for impact strength and Young modulus were recorded when replacing 15% of PP with PLA in blends of PP with the same cellulosic pulp load, the aim of our study was to assess the behavior to accelerate weathering of composites comprising PP, cellulosic pulp, and PLA. Although the slight decrease in the mechanical properties was recorded after accelerated weathering, the use of functionalized cellulose successfully prevented the deterioration of surface materials, especially for composite comprising stearoyl chloride treated cellulose pulp. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Effect of Compatibilizer and Nucleation Agent on the Properties of Poly(lactic acid)/Polycarbonate (PLA/PC) Blends

Poly(lactic acid) (PLA) and polycarbonate (PC) blends were prepared by melt processing with a twin-screw extruder. Ethylene-maleic anhydride-glycidyl methacrylate terpolymer (EMG) as compatibilizer and talc as nucleation agent were added in PLA/PC blends. The effect of EMG and talc on the mechanical properties including tensile, flexural, Izod notched impact properties and heat deflection temperature (HDT) of PLA/PC blends were investigated. The morphologies were observed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The crystalline behavior of PLA/PC blends was analyzed by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The nanoscale mechanical properties of PLA/PC blends were investigated by atomic force microscope (AFM). The results showed that the addition of EMG and talc simultaneously with annealing treatment is the most effective process.     

Mechanical property and biodegradability of solution‐cast films prepared from amphiphilic polylactide‐grafted dextran

Polylactide (PLA)‐grafted dextran was synthesized with a trimethylsilyl protection method to produce novel biodegradable, biomedical materials. PLA‐grafted dextrans with various lengths and numbers of graft chains were synthesized. The properties of solution‐cast films prepared from PLA‐grafted dextrans were investigated with thermal and dynamic mechanical analyses. The graft‐copolymer films exhibited lower glass‐transition temperatures, melting temperatures (T_m's), and crystallinities as well as higher viscosity properties as compared with poly‐L ‐lactide film. The T_m and crystallinity and mechanical properties at 37 °C could be adjusted by controlling the molecular structure such as the lengths and numbers of graft chains. Furthermore, the biodegradability of PLA‐grafted dextran films was investigated through the weight change of film and the molecular weight change of polymer during the in vitro degradation test. PLA‐grafted dextrans exhibited different degradation behavior from poly‐L ‐lactide with the introduction of a polysaccharide segment and branched structure as well as the change of end‐functional group. The degradation rate of PLA‐grafted dextran and the cast film prepared from PLA‐grafted dextran could be adjusted by controlling the sugar content or the length of graft chains. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 41: 2462–2468, 2003     

Enhanced rigidity of recycled polypropylene from packaging waste by compounding with talc and high‐ crystallinity polypropylene

Polypropylene (PP) constituted 30% of the collected material in a Swedish collection system for rigid plastic packaging waste. The PP fraction was however a complex mixture of grades with widely different properties. In order to enhance the rigidity of the recycled PP, modified grades were prepared by compounding with talc and/or a virgin high‐crystallinity PP grade. Adding 20–40% of high‐crystallinity PP enhanced the stiffness and yield strength without impairing the impact resistance. A composite material consisting of 20% of this grade, 20% talc and 60% recycled PP gave mechanical properties similar to those of a commercial talc‐filled PP compound used for demanding engineering applications. The present study demonstrates that recycled PP derived from post‐consumer packaging waste can also be made useful for demanding engineering applications. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The synergetic effect of phenylphosphonic acid zinc and microfibrillated cellulose on the injection molding cycle time of PLA composites

This study evaluates the effects of nucleants phenylphosphonic acid zinc (PPA-Zn) and talc, mold temperature, and microfibrillated cellulose (MFC) reinforcement in the acceleration of injection molding cycle of polylactic acid (PLA). PLA was dissolved in an organic solvent, mixed with nucleant and MFC, and dried compounds were injection molded into molds at temperatures ranging from 40 °C to 95 °C and holding times from 10 s to 120 s. Our results showed that PPA-Zn is more effective nucleating agent compared to talc. The addition of 1 wt% PPA-Zn and the mold temperature of 95 °C exhibited the fastest crystallization rates for the molded PLA, however, at this temperature the parts could not be quickly ejected without distortion. Addition of 10 wt% MFC increased the stiffness of PLA at high temperatures and allowed ejection of parts without distortion at a holding time of just 10 s. At this holding time, the crystallinity of the PLA composite was 15.3% but the storage modulus above T _g was superior to that of fully crystallized neat PLA due to MFC reinforcement, retaining the shape of the molded part during demolding. The mechanical properties of the composite at room temperature were also higher than those of fully crystallized neat PLA.     

Thermal and mechanical analysis of injection moulded poly(lactic acid) filled with poly(ethylene glycol) and talc

In our research, the effect of talc particle size was analysed on the thermal and mechanical properties of renewable resource-based, biodegradable polymer poly(lactic acid) (PLA). Various talc particles with an average particle size of 24, 1.9, and 0.7 μm were blend mixed with PLA in 10 and 20 mass% containing no or an additional 10 mass% of poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) to increase molecular chain mobility. It was demonstrated that with decreasing talc particle size, its nucleation ability increased as well as all of the investigated mechanical properties of the compounds, however, in case of compounds containing PEG, this tendency was the opposite according to Charpy impact strength results. The talc with the best nucleating ability was selected and a full factorial design of experiment was made to optimise the talc and PEG content and to investigate their cross-effect in the 1-3-5-10-15 mass% additive content range. Finally, the effect of mould temperature and cooling time was analysed on the crystallinity and heat deflection temperature of the final injection-moulded parts.     

Effects of raster angle on the mechanical properties of PLA and Al/PLA composite part produced by fused deposition modeling

This paper studies the mechanical properties of polylactic acid (PLA) and aluminum fiber–reinforced PLA composite (Al/PLA) specimens fabricated by fused deposition modeling (FDM) process. The effect of raster angle (0°, 90°, 45°, 0°/90°, and ± 45°) on dynamic mechanical thermal property and tensile property of FDM‐printed PLA and Al/PLA has been studied. The results show reduced tensile strength and Young's modulus in Al/PLA composite specimen in comparison with pure PLA specimen. However, the elongation‐at‐break increases, which is due to Al fiber with the higher elasticity and lower tensile strength than PLA. The addition of Al fibers improves the dynamic mechanical thermal property of pure PLA because of the good interaction of the PLA matrix with the surrounding Al fibers. Raster angle plays an important role in FDM process. All specimens printed with 0° raster angle show highest tensile strength and dynamic mechanical properties, while specimens printed with 90° raster angle have the lowest values. Fractured surfaces indicate that the failure of the specimen with 0° raster angle is due to breaking of individual layers, while for 90° raster angle, specimen fails under separation of the adjacent raster layers.     

Design and preparation of poly(lactic acid) hydroxyapatite nanocomposites reinforced with phosphorus‐based organic additive: Thermal,combustion, and mechanical properties studies

A new phosphorus‐based organic additive (PDA) was designed and successfully synthesized using a three‐component reaction for improvement of the thermal and combustion resistance of polylactic acid (PLA). For compensate for mechanical properties of PLA, hydroxyapatite nanoparticles was modified via in situ surface modification with PDA and was used for preparation of PLA nanocomposites. The structure and morphology as well as thermal, combustion, and mechanical properties of the all PLA systems were investigated. The X‐ray diffraction (XRD) and field‐emission scanning electron microscopy (FE‐SEM) results indicated that the presence of PDA as surface modifier has been necessary for a desirable dispersion of hydroxyapatite (HA) nanoparticles in the PLA matrix. The thermal, combustion, and mechanical properties of the PLA system films were investigated using thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), microscale combustion calorimeter (MCC), and tensile test, respectively. The initial decomposition temperature and char residue of PLA containing 6 mass% of PDA along with 2 mass% HA nanoparticles were increased 20°C and 12% respectively, compared with that of the neat PLA. The peak of heat release rate was decreased from 566 W/g for the neat PLA to 412 W/g for PLA containing 2 mass% of PDA along with 6 mass% HA nanoparticles. By incorporation of only 2 mass% HA nanoparticles and 6 mass% of PDA, the tensile strength was obtained 51 MPa higher than that of the neat PLA.     

Rheological and thermal behavior of PLA modified by chemical crosslinking in the presence of ethoxylated bisphenol A dimethacrylates

Crosslinking structures can be partly introduced into PLA by melt mixing in a twin screw extruder with dicumyl peroxide (DCP) and ethoxylated bisphenol A dimethacrylates (Bis‐EMAs) as a crosslinking coagent. The study of DCP and Bis‐EMA contents on the melt rheology, thermal properties, dynamic mechanical properties and morphology of the reactive extruded pellets is presented. The results show that PLA with a DCP content higher than 3 phr exhibits increases in both the melt modulus and complex viscosity as compared with PLA. The introduction of DCP into PLA improved the thermal stability of the PLA. PLAs with various Bis‐EMA contents showed the optimum storage modulus and complex viscosity to occur at 5 phr Bis‐EMAs. Moreover, the glass transition, cold crystallization and melting temperature of PLAs decreased with increasing Bis‐EMA content. The crystallinity of the partly crosslinked PLAs was lower than that of PLA. Similar to the rheological results, the thermo‐mechanical properties showed that the storage modulus and loss modulus of the partly crosslinked PLAs increased with increasing Bis‐EMA contents up to 5 phr. In addition, these partly crosslinked PLAs showed rough surface or sea island‐like structure. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Optimization of mechanical properties of polypropylene/talc/graphene composites using response surface methodology

This paper investigated the reinforcing effects of a hybrid filler, including talc and exfoliated graphene nanoplatelets (xGnPs), in polypropylene (PP) composites. In order to increase the interphase adhesion, maleic anhydride grafted polypropylene (MAPP) was added as a compatibilizing agent to the PP/talc/xGnP composites. The experiments were designed according to response surface methodology (RSM) to optimize the effects of three variable parameters, namely talc, MAPP and xGnP, on the mechanical properties. In the sample preparation, three levels of filler loading were used for talc (0, 15, 30 wt%), xGnP (0, 0.75, 1.5 wt%) and MAPP (0, 2, 4 wt%). From the analysis of variance (ANOVA), it was found that the talc and xGnP play a significant role in the mechanical properties and morphology of the composites, as proven by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and differential scanning calorimeter (DSC). In order to simultaneously maximize these mechanical properties, the desirable values of the additives were predicted to be 30 wt% for talc, 4 wt% for MAPP and 0.69 wt% for xGnP. The obtained normal probability plots indicated good agreement between the experimental results and those predicted by the RSM models.     

Effect of ammonium polyphosphate and fillers on flame retardant and mechanical properties of recycled PET injection molded

Ammonium polyphosphate (APP) and inorganic fillers were applied for improving flame retardancy and mechanical performance of recycled poly(ethylene terephthalate) (RPET). RPET was compounded with 5–10 wt% of talc and glass bead using twin screw extruder then were injection molded with 2 wt% of APP. The effects of fillers contents and APP on properties and flame retardancy of RPET composites were investigated. The incorporation of talc and glass bead as well as the adding of APP significantly improved tensile and flexural modulus of RPET composites. Scanning electron microscope micrographs indicated good distribution of talc, while glass bead was agglomerated on the RPET matrix. Flame‐retardant property of neat RPET and the RPET composites revealed V‐2 of UL‐94 flammability rating. It can be noted that the composites were less dripping because of the synergistic effect of adding talc and glass bead with APP. From thermogravimetric analysis results, larger of residual char contents and lower values of the activation energy were considered for enhancing flame retardancy in the RPET composites. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Study of mechanical and tribological properties of nylon 66‐titanium dioxide microcomposite

Nylon 66 microcomposites with various weight percentage of titanium dioxide (TiO₂) were prepared by a twin screw extruder and investigated for mechanical and tribological properties. Mechanical properties of the composite such as tensile strength/modulus, flexural strength/modulus, impact, and compressive strength first showed an increase up to 6 wt% TiO₂ followed by a decrease at higher filler loading. The value of heat deflection temperature increased with the increase in wt% of TiO₂. Sliding wear tests were performed on pin‐on‐disk equipment under different loads, sliding velocity, and sliding distance combinations. It was found that micro‐TiO₂‐Nylon 66 composite exhibited reduced wear and coefficient of friction up to 6 wt% TiO₂. Micro‐TiO₂ at 2 wt% was most effective in improving the tribological properties of plain nylon 66. The worn surfaces were examined by scanning electron microscopy to understand the wear mechanism. The optimal combination from 2 wt% to 6 wt% micro‐TiO₂‐Nylon 66 can be used depending upon the application requiring improvement in tribological or mechanical properties, respectively.     

Structure and mechanical properties of talc‐filled blends of polypropylene and styrenic block copolymers

The structure–property relationships of isotactic polypropylene (iPP)/styrenic block copolymer blends filled with talc were examined by optical and scanning electron microscopy, wide‐angle X‐ray diffraction, and tensile‐ and impact strength measurements. The composites were analyzed as a function of the poly(styrene‐b‐ethylene‐co‐propylene) diblock copolymer (SEP) and the poly(styrene‐b‐butadiene‐b‐styrene) triblock copolymer (SBS) content in the range from 0 to 20 vol % as elastomeric components and with 12 vol % of aminosilane surface‐treated talc as a filler. Talc crystals incorporated in the iPP matrix accommodated mostly plane‐parallel to the surface of the samples and strongly affected the crystallization process of the iPP matrix. The SBS block copolymer disoriented plane‐parallel talc crystals more significantly than the SEP block copolymer. The mechanical properties depended on the final phase morphology of the investigated iPP blends and composites and supermolecular structure of the iPP matrix because of the interactivity between their components. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 42: 1255–1264, 2004     

Polylactide compositions. II. Correlation between morphology and main properties of PLA/calcium sulfate composites

Starting from calcium sulfate (gypsum) as fermentation by‐product of lactic acid production process, high performance composites have been produced by melt‐blending polylactide (PLA, L/D isomer ratio of 96:4) and β‐anhydrite II (AII) filler, that is, calcium sulfate hemihydrate previously dehydrated at 500 °C. Characterized by attractive mechanical and thermal properties due to good filler dispersion throughout the polyester matrix, these composites are interesting for potential use as biodegradable rigid packaging. Physical characterization of selected composites filled with 20 and 40 wt % AII has been performed and compared to processed unfilled PLA with similar amorphous structure. State of dispersion of the filler particles and interphase characteristic features have been investigated using light microscopy (LM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Addition of AII did not decrease PLA thermal stability as revealed by thermogravimetry analyses (TGA) and allowed reaching a slight increase of PLA crystallizability during melt crystallization and upon heating from the glassy, amorphous state (DSC). It was found by thermomechanical measurements (DMTA) that the AII filler increased pronouncedly storage modulus (E′) of the composites in comparison with PLA in a broad temperature range. The X‐ray investigations showed stable/unchanged crystallographic structure of AII during processing with molten PLA and in the composite system. The notable thermal and mechanical properties of PLA–AII composites are accounted for by the good filler dispersion throughout the polyester matrix confirmed by morphological studies, system stability, and favorable interactions between components. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 45: 2770–2780, 2007     

Plasticized polylactide/clay nanocomposites. I. The role of filler content and its surface organo‐modification on the physico‐chemical properties

Polylactide (PLA)‐layered silicate nanocomposites plasticized with 20 wt % of poly(ethylene glycol) 1000 were prepared by melt blending. Three kinds of organo‐modified montmorillonites—Cloisite® 20A, Cloisite® 25A, and Cloisite® 30B—were used as fillers at a concentration level varying from 1–10 wt %. Neat PLA and plasticized PLA with the same thermomechanical history were considered for comparison. Nanocomposites based on amorphous PLA were obtained via melt‐quenching. The influence of both plasticization and nanoparticle filling on the physicochemical properties of the nanocomposites were investigated. Characterization of the systems was achieved by size exclusion chromatography (SEC), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), thermally modulated differential scanning calorimetry (TMDSC), X‐ray diffraction (XRD), and dynamic mechanical analysis (DMTA). SEC revealed a decrease of the molecular weight of the PLA matrix with the filler content. Thermal behavior on heating showed one cold crystallization process in the reference neat PLA sample, while two cold crystallization processes in plasticized PLA and plasticized nanocomposites. The thermal windows of these processes tend to increase with the filler content. The crystalline form of PLA developed upon heating was affected neither by the plasticization nor by the type and content of Cloisite used. It was found that the series of organo‐modified montmorillonites with decreasing affinity to PLA is Cloisite® 30B, Cloisite® 20A, and Cloisite® 25A, respectively. The dynamic mechanical properties were sensitive to the sample composition. Generally, the storage modulus increased with the filler content. Glassy PEG, well dispersed within unfilled PLA matrix, exhibited also a reinforcing effect, since the storage modulus of this sample was higher than for unplasticized reference at temperature region below the glass transition of PEG. Moreover, loss modulus of all plasticized samples revealed an additional maximum ascribed to the glass transition of PEG–rich dispersed phase, indicating partial miscibility of organic components of the systems investigated. The magnitude of this mechanical loss was correlated with the filler content, and to some extent, also with the nanofiller ability to be intercalated by polymer components. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 44: 299–311, 2006     

Enhanced properties of poly(lactic acid) with silica nanoparticles

The objective of this article is to fabricate poly(lactic acid) (PLA) and nano silica (SiO₂) composites and investigate effect of SiO₂ on the properties of PLA composites. Surface‐grafting modification was used in this study by grafting 3‐Glycidoxypropyltrimethoxysilane (KH‐560) onto the surface of silica nanoparticles. The surface‐grafting reaction was confirmed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and thermogravimetric analysis. Then the hydrophilic silica nanoparticles became hydrophobic and dispersed homogeneously in PLA matrix. Scanning electron microscope and Dynamic thermomechanical analysis (DMA) results revealed that the compatibility between PLA and SiO₂ was improved. Differential scanning calorimetry and polarized optical microscope tests showed that nano‐silica had a good effect on crystallization of PLA. The transparency analysis showed an increase in transparency of PLA, which had great benefit for the application of PLA. The thermal stability, fire resistance, and mechanical properties were also enhanced because of the addition of nano silica particles. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Use of maleic anhydride compatibilization to improve toughness and other properties of polylactide blended with thermoplastic elastomers

Polylactide (PLA) being a very brittle biopolymer could be toughened by blending with thermoplastic elastomers such as thermoplastic polyurethane elastomer (TPU) and thermoplastic polyester elastomer (TPE); unfortunately, these blends are immiscible forming round domains in the PLA matrix. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of using maleic anhydride (MA) compatibilization on the toughness and other properties of PLA blended with TPU and TPE. MA grafting on the PLA backbone (PLA‐g‐MA) was prepared separately by reactive extrusion and added during melt blending of PLA/thermoplastic elastomers. IR spectroscopy revealed that MA graft might interact with the functional groups present in the hard segments of TPU and TPE domains via primary chemical reactions, so that higher level of compatibilization could be obtained. SEM studies indicated that PLA‐g‐MA compatibilization also decreased the size of elastomeric domains leading to higher level of surface area for more interfacial interactions. Toughness tests revealed that Charpy impact toughness and fracture toughness (K_IC and G_IC) of inherently brittle PLA increased enormously when the blends were compatibilized with PLA‐g‐MA. For instance, G_IC fracture toughness of PLA increased as much as 166%. It was also observed that PLA‐g‐MA compatibilization resulted in no detrimental effects on the other mechanical and thermal properties of PLA blends. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Flame retardant poly (lactic acid) biocomposites based on azo‐boron coupled 4,4′‐sulfonyldiphenol and its combination with calcium lignosulfonate—Crystalline and mechanical properties

Poly (lactic acid) (PLA) has become an important biopolymer with excellent properties but has limited engineering applications where fire safety is ultimate. An efficient flame retardant (FR) for PLA biocomposites based on azo‐boron coupled with 4,4′‐sulfonyldiphenol‐(((1E,1′E)‐(sulfonylbis(6‐hydroxy‐3,1‐phenylene))bis (diazene‐2,1‐diyl))bis(3,1‐phenylene))diboronic acid (SBDA) was synthesized and characterized by FTIR, ¹H and ¹³C NMR spectra. SBDA was combined with calcium lignosulfonate (Calig) and compounded with PLA, and the FR, crystallization, and mechanical properties were investigated. The addition of 15 wt% FR (10 wt% Calig and 5 wt% SBDA) into PLA led to important reductions in peak heat release rate (PHRR) approximately 54%, total heat release (THR) approximately 28.6%, and the average effective heat of combustion (AEHC) approximately 29.4%. The fire performance index and fire growth index improved by approximately 56.4% and 33.1%, respectively. A V‐0 rating (vertical burning test) and a limiting oxygen index value of 28.8% were achieved for the FR PLA biocomposites. The combinatory SBDA/Calig reduced the segmental mobility of PLA in the organic‐inorganic interface with insignificant changes in the elongation at break and the Young Modulus. TG‐IR study showed significant reductions in pyrolysis gaseous products for the composites compared with PLA. This research work will expand the frontiers of knowledge on use of boron and calcium functionalized polyaromatic polyols for reducing the flammability of PLA.     

Barrier and Mechanical Properties of Poly(caprolactone)/organoclay Nanocomposites

In this study, biodegradable poly(caprolactone) (PCL) hybrids with two types of organoclays: Cloisite 30B (30B) and Cloisite 93A (93A) have been prepared by melt mixing and their barrier performance to air permeation and mechanical properties were investigated. The hybrids of PCL/30B were found to be nanocomposites resulted from the strong interaction between organic modifier of 30B and PCL and those of PCL/93A were microcomposites. The barrier performance of PCL/30B nanocomposite film to air permeation was much more improved than pure PCL and PCL/93A microcomposites at low organoclay concentration. With the increase of organoclay content the permeability coefficient was also increased that could attributed to the extra tortuous pathway for gas permeation caused by organoclay exfoliation. The barrier behaviour of PCL/30B nanocomposites could be approximately described by a theoretical model developed for composites. The mechanical properties measurements showed that the reinforcement of organoclay 30B in nanocomposites is more significant than 93A in microcomposites. Both tensile modulus and tensile strength were increased in PCL/30B nanocomposites even at at low amount of organoclay without much loss of strain at break as compared to pure PCL. The significant improvements in both barrier and mechanical properties in PCL nanocomposites could be attributed to the fine dispersion state of organoclay 30B platelets in PCL matrix and the strong interaction between organic modifier of 30B and matrix molecules.     

Preparation,characterization, structure‐property relationships,and thermal degradation kinetics of poly (lactic acid)/amidated potassium hydrogen phthalate intercalated layered double hydroxides nanocomposites

A novel nucleating agent, amidated potassium hydrogen phthalate intercalated layered double hydroxides (AP‐LDHs) were prepared using an amidation reaction. Through the structural characterization, it was found that AP‐LDHs had been successfully prepared. Meanwhile, the antibacterial activity of AP‐LDHs was studied. In order to improve the performance of poly (lactic acid) (PLA), PLA/AP‐LDHs nanocomposites were prepared by melt blending. Morphological analysis showed that PLA nanocomposites had an exfoliated structure. Mechanical properties test showed that the mechanical properties of PLA nanocomposites were enhanced. And the fracture scanning electron microscope analysis indicated that the PLA/AP‐LDHs nanocomposites exhibited ductile fracture characteristics. Moreover, differential scanning calorimetry and polarized optical microscopy analysis results demonstrated that the crystallization rate, nucleation density, and crystallinity of PLA/AP‐LDHs were improved. Thermogravimetric analysis and thermal degradation kinetics showed that the thermal stability of the PLA nanocomposites was significantly improved.