Management of moisture penetration and hydrolytic degradation of polylactide (PLA) is extremely important during the manufacturing,
shipping, storage, and end-use of PLA products. Moisture transport, crystallization, and degradation, in PLA have been measured
through a variety of experimental techniques including size-exclusion chromatography, differential scanning calorimetry, and
X-ray diffraction. Quartz crystal microbalance and dynamic vapor sorption experiments have also been used to measure moisture
sorption isotherms in PLA films with varying crystallinity. A surprising result is that, within the accuracy of the experiments,
crystalline and amorphous PLA films exhibit identical sorption isotherms. 相似文献
Poly(β-hydroxybutyrate) (PHB) is a bio-based and biodegradable aliphatic polyester, however its application is limited by some disadvantages such as high price, brittleness, poor processability and low melt-strength due to serious thermal degradation. Partial crosslinking initiated by dicumyl peroxide (DCP) was applied in this work to improve the performance of poly(β-hydroxybutyrate)/poly(d,l-lactic acid) (PHB/PDLLA) blends. The partial crosslinking of the blends and its effect on the properties, morphology, rheology and thermal behavior of the blends were investigated. The tensile strength and impact toughness of the PHB were increased by incorporation of the PDLLA, which were improved further after the partial crosslinking because of an increased compatibility between the PHB and the PDLLA phases. The rheological study revealed that the storage modulus (G′) and complex viscosity (η*) of the blends were increased after addition of the DCP. On the other hand, the crystallization of PHB in the blends was restricted to a certain extent by the formation of partially crosslinked network while its crystal form was not modified. 相似文献
Here, the synthesis and the characterization of novel amphiphilic graft copolymers with tunable properties, useful in obtaining polymeric fluorescent nanoparticles for application in imaging, are described. These copolymers are obtained by chemical conjugation of rhodamine B (RhB) moieties, polylactic acid (PLA), and O‐(2‐aminoethyl)‐O′‐methyl poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) on α,β‐poly(N‐2‐hydroxyethyl)‐d,l ‐aspartamide (PHEA). In particular, PHEA is first functionalized with RhB to obtain PHEA–RhB with a derivatization degree in RhB (DDRhB) equal to 0.55 mol%. By varying the reaction conditions, different amounts of PLA are grafted on PHEA–RhB to obtain PHEA‐RhB‐PLA with DDPLA equal to 1.9, 4.0, and 6.2 mol%. Then, PEG chains are grafted on PHEA‐RhB‐PLA derivatives to obtain PHEA‐RhB‐PLA‐PEG graft copolymers. The preparation of polymeric fluorescent nanoparticles with tunable properties and spherical shape is described by using PHEA‐RhB‐PLA‐PEG with DD in PLA and PEG equal to 4.0 and 4.9 mol%, by following easily scaling up processes, such as emulsion‐solvent evaporation and high pressure homogenization (HPH)‐solvent evaporation techniques.
Due to the added value conferred by zinc oxide (ZnO) nanofiller, e.g., UV protection, antibacterial action, gas-barrier properties, poly(lactic acid) (PLA)–ZnO nanocomposites show increased interest for utilization as films, textile fibers, and injection molding items. The study highlights the beneficial effects of premixing ZnO in PLA under given conditions and its use as masterbatch (MB), a very promising alternative manufacturing technique. This approach allows reducing the residence time at high processing temperature of the thermo-sensitive PLA matrix in contact of ZnO nanoparticles known for their aptitude to promote degradation effects onto the polyester chains. Various PLA–ZnO MBs containing high contents of silane-treated ZnO nanoparticles (up to 40 wt.% nanofiller specifically treated with triethoxycaprylylsilane) were produced by melt-compounding using twin-screw extruders. Subsequently, the selected MBs were melt blended with pristine PLA to produce nanocomposite films containing 1–3 wt.% ZnO. By comparison to the more traditional multi-step process, the MB approach allowed the production of nanocomposites (films) having improved processing and enhanced properties: PLA chains displaying higher molecular weights, improved thermal stability, fine nanofiller distribution, and thermo-mechanical characteristic features, while the UV protection was confirmed by UV-vis spectroscopy measurements. The MB alternative is viewed as a promising flexible technique able to open new perspectives to produce more competitive multifunctional PLA–ZnO nanocomposites. 相似文献
In this study, biodegradable polylactic acid (PLA) and PLA nanocomposite scaffolds reinforced with magnetic and conductive fillers, were processed via fused filament fabrication additive manufacturing and their bioactivity and biodegradation characteristics were examined. Porous 3D architectures with 50% bulk porosity were 3D printed, and their physicochemical properties were evaluated. Thermal analysis confirmed the presence of ~18 wt% of carbon nanostructures (CNF and GNP; nowonwards CNF) and ~37 wt% of magnetic iron oxide (Fe2O3) particles in the filaments. The in vitro degradation tests of scaffolds showed porous and fractured struts after 2 and 4 weeks of immersion in DMEM respectively, although a negligible weight loss is observed. Greater extent of degradation is observed in PLA with magnetic fillers followed by PLA with conductive fillers and neat PLA. In vitro bioactivity study of scaffolds indicate enhancement from ~2.9% (PLA) to ~5.32% (PLA/CNF) and ~ 3.12% (PLA/Fe2O3). Stiffness calculated from the compression tests showed decrease from ~680 MPa (PLA) to 533 MPa and 425 MPa for PLA/CNF and PLA/Fe2O3 respectively. Enhanced bioactivity and faster biodegradation response of PLA nanocomposites with conductive fillers make them a potential candidate for tissue engineering applications such as scaffold bone replacement and regeneration. 相似文献
Additive manufacturing offers a useful and accessible tool for prototyping and manufacturing small volume functional parts. Polylactic acid (PLA) and thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) are amongst the most commonly used materials. Characterising 3D printed PLA and TPU is potentially important for both designing and finite element modelling of functional parts. This work explores the mechanical properties of additively manufactured PLA/TPU specimens with consideration to design parameters including size, and infill percentage. PLA/TPU specimens are 3D-printed in selected ISO standard geometries with 20%, 60%, 100% infill percentage. Tensile and compression test results suggest that traditional ISO testing standards might be insufficient in characterising 3D printed materials for finite element modelling or application purposes. Infill percentage in combination to design size, may significantly affect the mechanical performance of 3D printed parts. Dimensional variation may cause inhomogeneity in mechanical properties between large and small cross section areas of the same part. The effect was reduced in small cross section parts where reducing the nominal infill had less effect on the resulting specimens. The results suggest that for 3D printed functional parts with significant dimensional differences between sections, the material properties are not necessarily homogeneous. This consideration may be significant for designers using 3D printing for applications, which include mechanical loading. 相似文献