| Abstract: | Layered double hydroxide‐poly(methylmethacrylate) (LDH‐PMMA) graft copolymers were prepared via activators regenerated by electron transfer for atom transfer radical polymerization. The results showed that the hydrophobicity of LDH‐PMMA was improved by the incorporation of hydrophilic groups. Moreover, poly(lactic acid) (PLA)/LDH‐PMMA nanocomposites were prepared by melt blending to enhance the performances of PLA. The crystallization and mechanical properties of the PLA/LDH‐PMMA nanocomposites were studied by differential scanning calorimetry, tensile testing, and polarized optical microscopy, respectively. Results of mechanical testing showed that the tensile strength, elongation at break, and impact strength of PLA/LDH‐PMMA nanocomposites were increased by 5.64%, 37.95%, and 49.70%, respectively, compared with PLA. The differential scanning calorimetry results indicated that LDH‐PMMA eliminated the cold crystallization of PLA matrix and improved the crystallinity of PLA by 37.26%. The polarized optical microscopy of PLA/LDH‐PMMA nanocomposites demonstrated that LDH‐PMMA increased the crystallization rate of PLA. It was also found that the rheological behaviors of the PLA nanocomposites were significantly enhanced. Based on these results, a new choice for modified LDHs was provided and used as a nucleating agent to improve the properties of PLA. |
