Effect of temperature on the molecular mobility in polylactide

The effects of temperature on the molecular mobility in the amorphous phase and on the structural parameters of the crystalline phase of three brands of polylactide have been studied. It was found that annealing increases the melting temperature by 2–3°C and increases the degree of crystallinity by 2–6%. X-Ray analysis showed the possibility of formation of crystal structures of the α and β modifications in polylactide. The change in correlation time of radical rotation in amorphous regions of polylactide as a function of the history of thermal pretreatment of the samples was shown via the electron paramagnetic resonance method.