Relationship between the crystallization behavior of poly(ethylene glycol) and stereocomplex crystallization of poly(L‐lactic acid)/poly(D‐lactic acid)

Poly(l ‐lactic acid) (PLLA) is a good biomedical polymer material with wide applications. The addition of poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) as a plasticizer and the formation of stereocomplex crystals (SCs) have been proved to be effective methods for improving the crystallization of PLLA, which will promote its heat resistance. In this work, the crystallization behavior of PEG and PLLA/poly(d ‐lactic acid) (PDLA) in PLLA/PDLA/PEG and PEG‐b‐PLLA/PEG‐b‐PDLA blends has been investigated using differential scanning calorimetry, polarized optical microscopy and X‐ray diffraction. Both SCs and homocrystals (HCs) were observed in blends with asymmetric mass ratio of PLLA/PDLA, while exclusively SCs were observed in blends with approximately equal mass ratio of PLLA/PDLA. The crystallization of PEG was only observed for the symmetric blends of PLLA_39k/PDLA_35k/PEG_2k, PLLA_39k/PDLA_35k/PEG_5k, PLLA_69k/PDLA_96k/PEG_5k and PEG‐b‐PLLA_31k/PEG‐b‐PDLA_27k, where the mass ratio of PLLA/PDLA was approximately 1/1. The results demonstrated that the formation of exclusively SCs would facilitate the crystallization of PEG, while the existence of both HCs and SCs could restrict the crystallization of PEG. The crystallization of PEG is related to the crystallinity of PLLA and PDLA, which will be promoted by the formation of SCs. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry     

Crystallization behavior and mechanical properties of crosslinked plasticized poly(L‐lactic acid)

Enhancing the stability of plasticized poly(L ‐lactic acid) (PLLA) with poly (ethylene glycol) (PEG) is necessary for its practical application. In this study, plasticized PLLA (PLLA/PEG 80/20 wt/wt) was crosslinked under γ‐ray (Co⁶⁰) in the presence of triallyl isocyanurate (TAIC) as crosslinking agent. FTIR analysis revealed that PLLA, PEG, and TAIC formed a cocrosslinking structure. Crystallization behavior and mechanical properties of the crosslinked plasticized PLLA were investigated by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), wide‐angle X‐ray diffraction (WAXD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and tensile tests. Experimental results indicated that the crystallization behaviors of both PEG and PLLA in the blends were restrained after irradiation. The melting peak of PEG in the crystallized samples disappeared at a low irradiation doses about 10 kGy. Although PLLA still owned the behavior of crystallize, its cold crystallization temperature and glass transition temperature shifted to higher temperature. Mechanical properties of the plasticized PLLA were strengthened through crosslinking. Both yield strength and elastic modulus of the samples increased after crosslinking. Elongation at break of the crosslinked plasticized PLLA decreased with the increase of crosslinking density but remained a high value over 200%. SEM images of fracture surfaces confirmed that the ductile fracture behavior of plasticized PLLA was kept after suitable crosslinking. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2009     

Stereocomplexation and morphology of enantiomeric poly(lactic acid)s with moderate‐molecular‐weight

The thermal behavior and spherulitic morphologies of poly(L ‐lactic acid) (PLLA)/poly(D ‐lactic acid) (PDLA) 1/1 blend with weight‐molecular‐weight of 10⁵ order, together with those of pure PLLA and PDLA, were investigated using differential scanning calorimetry and polarized optical microscopy. It was found that in the blend, stereocomplex crystallites could be formed exclusively or coexisted with homocrystallites depending on thermal history. Banded to nonbanded spherulitic morphological transition occurred for melt‐crystallized PLLA and PDLA, while the blend presented exclusively nonbanded spherulitic morphologies in the temperature range investigated. The spherulite growth of the blend occurred within a wider temperature range (≤180°C) compared with that of homopolymers (≤150°C), while the spherulite growth rates were comparable for both the blend and homopolymers. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2008     

不同构型聚乳酸共混体系的立构复合结晶研究进展

左旋聚乳酸(PLLA)和右旋聚乳酸(PDLA)在共混体系中可形成立构复合(sc)结晶,与聚乳酸(PLA)同质结晶材料相比,sc 结晶材料具有良好的耐热性和耐化学稳定性。因此,sc 结晶是改善PLA 综合性能的一种有效手段。但在PLLA/PDLA 共混体系中,存在各自的同质结晶与两者之间sc 结晶的竞争,所以制备高耐热sc 型PLA 材料的关键之一是理解其sc 结晶的形成条件与机理,进而调控和促进其sc 结晶程度。在PLLA/PDLA 共混物中,sc 结晶受聚合物化学结构、结晶与加工条件等诸多因素影响,其影响规律和机理较复杂。根据PLLA/PDLA共混物sc 结晶行为影响因素的不同,从聚合物分子量、立构规整性、共混比例、分子链拓扑结构、结晶方式与条件、加工助剂和其他组分加入6 个方面出发,详细综述了PLLA/PDLA 共混物sc 结晶及其sc 材料制备的研究进展,以期为高耐热生物基PLA 材料的加工制备提供指导。     

Highly enhanced accelerating effect of melt‐recrystallized stereocomplex crystallites on poly(L‐lactic acid) crystallization: effects of molecular weight of poly(D‐lactic acid)

The effects of the molecular weight of poly(D ‐lactic acid) (PDLA), which forms stereocomplex (SC) crystallites with poly(L ‐lactic acid) (PLLA), and those of processing temperature T_p on the acceleration (or nucleation) of PLLA homocrystallization were investigated using PLLA films containing 10 wt% PDLA with number‐average molecular weight (M_n) values of 5.47 × 10⁵, 9.67 × 10⁴ and 3.67 × 10⁴ g mol^–1 (PDLA‐H, PDLA‐M and PDLA‐L, respectively). For the PLLA/PDLA‐H and PLLA/PDLA‐M films, the SC crystallites that were ‘non’‐melted and those that were ‘completely’ melted at T_p values just above their endset melting temperature and recrystallized during cooling were found to act as effective accelerating (or nucleation) agents for PLLA homocrystallization. In contrast, SC crystallites formed from PDLA‐L, having the lowest M_n, were effective accelerating agents without any restrictions on T_p. In this case, the accelerating effects can be attributed to the plasticizer effect of PDLA‐L with the lowest M_n. The accelerating effects of SC crystallites in the PLLA/PDLA‐H and PLLA/PDLA‐M films was dependent on crystalline thickness for T_p values below the melting peak temperature of SC crystallites, whereas for T_p values above the melting peak temperature the accelerating effects are suggested to be affected by the interaction between the SC crystalline regions and PLLA amorphous regions.     

Stereocomplexation of solvent‐cast poly(lactic acid) by addition of non‐solvents

Equimolar blends of poly(L ‐lactic acid) (PLLA) and poly(D ‐lactic acid) (PDLA) were obtained by solution casting from chloroform/methanol mixed solvents and analyzed using wide‐angle X‐ray diffraction (WAXD), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and polarizing optical microscopy. Chloroform and methanol are a solvent and non‐solvent, respectively, for poly(lactic acid). The WAXD and DSC results showed that stereocomplex crystallization between PLLA and PDLA occurred in addition to homo‐crystallization. On adding methanol to the casting solution, the stereocomplexation was gradually enhanced while the homo‐crystallization was suppressed. When a large amount of methanol was added, the homo‐crystallization was fully suppressed and the degree of stereocomplex crystallinity reached 90%. Similar results were obtained when another non‐solvent, hexane, was added to the casting solution in place of methanol. The effect of the addition of good and poor solvents such as tetrahydrofuran, ethanol, acetone and ethyl acetate was also studied. Copyright © 2011 Society of Chemical Industry     

Crystallisation and spherulite morphology of polylactide stereocomplex

In this study we investigated the crystallisation behaviours of stereocomplex crystals in poly(l ‐lactic acid)/poly(d ‐lactic acid) ( PLLA/PDLA) blends (LD blends) of various weight ratios. The crystallisation and melting behaviours were studied using DSC, and the crystal structure was analysed through wide‐angle X‐ray diffraction. The morphology of homocrystals and stereocomplex crystals in the blends was examined using a hot‐stage polarising microscope and a scanning electron microscope. The DSC results showed that homocrystals and stereocomplex crystals were present in all LD blends except that with 50 wt% PLLA/50 wt% PDLA; in this blend, only stereocomplex crystals were present. The regime II → III transition temperature of stereocomplex crystals in a Lauritzen–Hoffman plot of the LD blends was determined to be 165 °C. A concentric spherulite consisting of stereocomplex crystals and homocrystals formed under two‐step isothermal crystallisation conditions with three growth stages was observed. The confined spherulitic growth rate in the concentric spherulite and the unrestricted spherulitic growth rate in individual spherulites were also analysed. © 2018 Society of Chemical Industry     

Isothermal crystallization and spherulite growth behavior of stereo multiblock poly(lactic acid)s: Effects of block length

Stereo multiblock poly(lactic acid)s (PLA)s and stereo diblock poly(lactic acid) (DB) with a wide variety of block length of 15.4–61.9 lactyl units are synthesized, and the effects of block length sequence on crystallization and spherulite growth behavior are investigated at different crystallization temperatures, in comparison with neat poly(L ‐lactide) (PLLA), poly(D ‐lactide) (PDLA), and PLLA/PDLA blend. Only stereocomplex crystallites as crystalline species are formed in the stereo multiblock PLAs and DB, irrespective of block length and crystallization temperature. The maximum crystallinities (33–61%), maximum radial growth rate of spherulites (0.7–56.7 μm min^?1), and equilibrium melting temperatures (182.0–216.5°C) increased with increasing block length but are less than those of PLLA/PDLA blend (67 %, 122.5 μm min^?1, and 246.0°C). The spherulite growth rates and overall crystallization rates of the stereo multiblock PLAs and DB increased with increasing block length and are lower than that of PLLA/PDLA blend. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci., 2013     

The difference of equilibrium melting point between poly(l‐lactic acid) and poly(l‐lactic acid)/poly(d‐lactic acid) blends: cases with three molecular weights

In order to explore the origin of the higher melting point of poly(lactic acid) (PLA) stereocomplex crystal (SC) than that of homo‐crystal (HC), the equilibrium melting point () differential between SC and HC was determined using the Hoffman–Weeks method. The results showed that, for PLA samples with M_n around 16, 20 and 65 kg mol^?1, the differential between SC and HC is around 36, 42 and 55 °C, respectively. Thus, the higher melting point of SC compared to HC does not stem from differential only. For PLA samples with lower M_n, the supercooling differential between poly(l ‐lactic acid) (PLLA)/poly(d ‐lactic acid) (PDLA) blends and PLLA is smaller than that with higher M_n, which means chain diffusion behavior is crucial for SC formation in PLLA/PDLA blends. The fact that the SC adopts the intermolecular parallel arrangement rather than the adjacent chain folding is verified by the greater slope of the melting point of SC versus crystallization temperature fitting curve when M_n is relative higher. © 2018 Society of Chemical Industry     

Enhanced crystallization rate and mechanical properties of poly(l‐lactic acid) by stereocomplexation with four‐armed poly(ϵ‐caprolactone)‐block‐poly(d‐lactic acid) diblock copolymer

Poly(l ‐lactic acid) (PLLA) was blended with a series of four‐armed poly(? ‐caprolactone)‐block ‐poly(d ‐lactic acid) (4a‐PCL‐b ‐PDLA) copolymers in order to improve its crystallization rate and mechanical properties. It is found that a higher content of 4a‐PCL‐b ‐PDLA copolymer or longer PDLA block in the copolymer lead to faster crystallization of the blend, which is attributed to the formation of stereocomplex crystallites between PLLA matrix and PDLA blocks of the 4a‐PCL‐b ‐PDLA copolymers. Meanwhile, the PDLA block can improve the miscibility between flexible PCL phase and PLLA phase, which is beneficial for improving mechanical properties. The tensile results indicate that the 10% 4a‐PCL_5k‐b ‐PDLA_5k/PLLA blend has the largest elongation at break of about 72% because of the synergistic effects of stereocomplexation between enantiomeric PLAs, multi‐arm structure and plasticization of PCL blocks. It is concluded that well‐controlled composition and content of 4a‐PCL‐b ‐PDLA copolymer in PLLA blends can significantly improve the crystallization rate and mechanical properties of the PLLA matrix. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry     

The electrical properties and crystallization of stereocomplex poly(lactic acid) filled with carbon nanotubes

Multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) filled poly(l-lactic acid) (PLLA) and PLLA/poly(d-lactic acid) (PDLA) composites were prepared through a directly melt mixing process. A special crystalline structure of stereocomplex was formed by PLLA and PDLA, which was easily found when mixing two polymers with identical chemical composition but different steric structures. The electrical conductivities were greatly improved by the formation of stereocomplex compared to that of PLLA/MWCNT composites at same MWCNT content. The percolation threshold of the PLLA/PDLA/MWCNT composite at a PLLA/PDLA weight ratio of 50/50 was 0.35 wt%, while being 1.43 wt% of PLLA/MWCNT composites. The X-ray diffraction, non-isothermal and isothermal crystallization results showed that the formation of stereocomplex greatly increased the crystallinity of the composites, meanwhile MWCNTs acted as heterogeneous nucleating agent, which significantly accelerated the nucleation and spherulite growth. Therefore, the PLLA/PDLA/MWCNT composites have a very low percolation threshold due to the volume exclusion effect.     

Radiation‐induced crosslinking and mechanical properties of blends of poly(lactic acid) and poly(butylene terephthalate‐co‐adipate)

Blends of poly(L ‐lactic acid) (PLLA) and poly (butylene terephthalate‐co‐adipate) (PBTA) were prepared at ratios of 50 : 50, 60 : 40, and 80 : 20 by melt blending in a Laboplastomill. Improved mechanical properties were observed in PLLA when it was blended with PBTA, a biodegradable flexible polymer. Irradiation of these blends with an electron beam (EB) in the presence of triallyl isocyanurate (TAIC), a polyfunctional monomer, did not cause any significant improvement in the mechanical properties, although the gel fraction increased with the TAIC level and dose level. Irradiation of the blends without TAIC led to a reduction in the elongation at break (E_b) but did not show a significant effect on the tensile strength. E_b of PBTA was unaffected by EB radiation in the absence of TAIC. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2008     

Degradation of poly(D,L‐lactic acid)‐b‐poly(ethylene glycol) copolymer and poly(L‐lactic acid) by electron beam irradiation

This article investigated the effects of electron beam (EB) irradiation on poly(D ,L ‐lactic acid)‐b‐poly(ethylene glycol) copolymer (PLEG) and poly(L ‐lactic acid) (PLLA). The dominant effect of EB irradiation on both PLEG and PLLA was chain scission. With increasing dose, recombination reactions or partial crosslinking of PLEG can occur in addition to chain scission, but there was no obvious crosslinking for PLLA at doses below 200 kGy. The chain scission degree of irradiated PLEG and PLLA was calculated to be 0.213 and 0.403, respectively. The linear relationships were also established between the decrease in molecular weight with increasing dose. Elongation at break of the irradiated PLEG and PLLA decreased significantly, whereas the tensile strength and glass transition temperature of PLLA decreased much more significantly compared with PLEG. The presence of poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) chain segment in PLEG was the key factor in its greater stability to EB irradiation compared with PLLA. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2011     

Enhanced crystallization of poly(lactide) stereocomplex by xylan propionate

The effect of xylan propionate (XylPr) as a novel biomass‐derived nucleating agent on the poly(lactide) sterecomplex was investigated. Addition of XylPr to an enantiomeric blend of poly(l ‐lactide) (PLLA) and poly(d ‐lactide) (PDLA) was performed in either the solution state or molten state. The solution blend of PLLA/PDLA with XylPr was prepared by mixing equal volumes of 1 wt% XylPr/PLLA and 1 wt% XylPr/PDLA solutions in chloroform and precipitating in methanol. The solution blend with XylPr showed shorter half‐time crystallization than the solution blend without XylPr in isothermal crystallization between 80 and 140 °C, although homocrystallization occurred. Enhanced stereocomplex crystallization in the solution blend with XylPr was observed at 180 °C, where no crystallization occurred in the solution blend without XylPr. Addition of XylPr to PLLA/PDLA blend in the molten state was performed at 240 °C. Thereafter, the melt blend of PLLA/PDLA with or without XylPr was either quenched in iced water or isothermally crystallized directly from the melt. Isothermal crystallization of the melt‐quenched blend with XylPr gave a similar result to the solution blend with XylPr. In contrast, the melt‐crystallized blend with XylPr formed only stereocomplex crystals after crystallization above 140 °C. Furthermore, the melt‐crystallized blend with XylPr showed a higher crystallinity index and melting temperature than the melt‐crystallized blend without XylPr. This shows that XylPr promotes stereocomplex crystallization only when the blend of PLLA/PDLA with XylPr is directly crystallized from the molten state just after blending. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry     

Poly(lactic acid) stereocomplex formation: Application to PLA rheological property modification

Poly(lactic acid) (PLA) stereocomplex formation in isothermal conditions in the absence and presence of a nucleating agent was studied from a rheological point of view due to sensitivity of viscoelastic properties to structural changes during this process. PDLA was melt blended in low concentrations with PLLA to produce a stereocomplex. Amorphous samples were prepared and crystallization was carried out in a rheometer at high temperatures to simulate melt processing conditions. Stereocomplexation was explored over time by measuring rheological parameters in small deformation oscillatory shear mode at a low frequency using parallel plate geometry. Kinetic data obtained by this means was compared to data from calorimetric studies, showing a different trend depending on the characterization method. Moreover, after the completion of crystallization, final crystalline structure was probed over a wide range of frequencies to investigate the rheological modification role of PDLA on PLLA major component. Differences in rheological characteristics of asymmetric PLLA/PDLA blends as compared to neat PLLA were associated to the structural changes happening because of the formation of the stereocomplex. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2014 , 131, 41073.     

Supercritical fluid technology parameters affecting size and behavior of stereocomplex polylactide particles and their composites

Polylactide (PLA) is a eco‐friendly and biodegradable material that can be synthesized from renewable resources. PLA features poly(d ‐lactic acid) (PDLA) and poly(l ‐lactic acid) (PLLA) enantiomers. Supercritical fluid (SCF) technology is a very promising method for the stereocomplexation between PDLA and PLLA enantiomers. This study acquires stereocomplex (sc‐)PLA particles with diverse sizes and behaviors by controlling the experimental conditions. Various parameters including polymer concentration, reaction temperature, stirring speed, pressure reducing speed, and final temperature were controlled to adjust size and behavior of sc‐PLA particles. Additionally, we analyzed the effect of subsequent processing following SCF (such as homogenization, mechanical stirring, and sonication) on the size and morphological behavior of sc‐PLA particles. Finally, the mechanical strengths of different PLA composites featuring different sc‐PLA filler sizes were determined. The mechanical strength of PLA composites was significantly improved when using smaller filler sizes. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 58:1193–1200, 2018. © 2017 Society of Plastics Engineers     

Stereocomplexed polylactides (Neo‐PLA) as high‐performance bio‐based polymers: their formation,properties, and application

Polymeric materials prepared from renewable natural resources are now being accepted as “bio‐based polymers”, because they are superior to the conventional petroleum‐based polymers in reducing the emission of carbon dioxide. Among them, poly(L ‐lactide) (PLLA) prepared by fermentation and polymerization is paid an immediate attention. Although PLLA exhibits a broad range of physico‐chemical properties, its thermal and mechanical properties are somewhat poorer for use as ordinary structural materials. For improving these inferior properties, a stereocomplex form consisting of PLLA and its enantiomer poly(D ‐lactide) (PDLA) has high potential because of showing high melting nature (230 °C). It can be formed by simple polymer blend of PLLA and PDLA or more easily with stereoblock polylactides (sb‐PLA) which are PLLA/PDLA block copolymers. These novel PLA polymers, named “Neo‐PLA”, can provide a wide range of properties that have never be attained with single PLLA. Neo‐PLA retains sustainability or bio‐based nature, because both monomers L ‐ and D ‐lactic acids are manufactured from starch by fermentation. Copyright © 2006 Society of Chemical Industry     

Flax fiber‐reinforced polylactide stereocomplex composites with enhanced heat resistance and mechanical properties

Polylactide stereocomplex (sc‐PLA) prepared by blending equivalent proportion of poly(l ‐lactic acid)/poly(d ‐lactic acid) (PLLA/PDLA) and its composites reinforced with 10, 20, and 30% flax fibers were fabricated by melt compounding and followed by injection molding. The mechanical properties, crystallinity, cross‐section morphology, and heat resistance of sc‐PLA and flax/sc‐PLA composites were compared. The results showed that homocrystallites (hc) and stereocomplex crystallites (sc) were formed simultaneously in sc‐PLA and its composites, with a melting temperature at ∼170 and ∼210°C, respectively. The crystallinity and sc content of composite increased with the increasing content of the flax fibers. The sc content of 30% flax/sc‐PLA composite could reach 98.4%, 32% higher than that of sc‐PLA (66.4%). When compared with nonblended PLLA, heat resistance of sc‐PLA increased slightly, but at the expense of mechanical properties. By the addition of flax fibers, the mechanical properties of flax/sc‐PLA composite improved significantly. The highest tensile strength, Young's modulus, and notched Izod impact strength of flax/sc‐PLA composite were 52.90 MPa, 6.42 GPa, and 5.27 kJ/m², respectively, improved by 54, 132, and 343% when compared with sc‐PLA. Moreover, the heat resistance of composite was also improved greatly by reinforcing with flax fibers. The Vicat softening temperature of 30% flax/sc‐PLA composite could achieve 162.5°C, nearly 100°C higher than that of PLLA. POLYM. COMPOS., 38:472–478, 2017. © 2015 Society of Plastics Engineers     

Enhanced toughness and strength of poly (d‐lactide) by stereocomplexation with 5‐arm poly (l‐lactide)

The enhancement of mechanical properties were achieved by solution blending of poly(d ‐lactide) (PDLA) and 5‐arm poly(l ‐lactide) (5‐arm PLLA). Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and wide‐angle X‐ray diffraction (WAXD) results indicated almost complete stereocomplex could be obtained when 5‐arm PLLA exceeded 30wt %. Tensile test results showed that the addition of 5‐arm PLLA in linear PDLA gave dramatically improvement both on tensile strength and elongation at break, which generally could not be increased simultaneously. Furthermore, this work transformed PDLA from brittle polymer into tough and flexible materials. The mechanism was proposed based on the TEM results: the stereocomplex crystallites formed during solvent evaporation on the blends were small enough (100–200 nm), which played the role of physical crosslinking points and increased the interaction strength between PDLA and 5‐arm PLLA molecules, giving the blends high tensile strength and elongation at break. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2016 , 132, 42857.     

Effect of nucleation and plasticization on the stereocomplex formation between enantiomeric poly(lactic acid)s

The effect of nucleation and plasticization on the stereocomplex formation between poly(l-lactic acid) (PLLA) and poly(d-lactic acid) (PDLA) was investigated in blends where PDLA is added as a minor phase in a major phase of PLLA. The use of small amounts of PDLA is aimed at creating a high melting point stereocomplex phase that in turn can serve as nucleating agent for the major phase of PLLA. Blends containing 5% PDLA with talc or organic phosphonate as nucleants and polyethylene glycol as plasticizer were prepared via melt-blending. Their crystallization behavior was investigated through Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) using various thermal histories. Two peculiar stereocomplex melting endotherms were found. The peak temperature and enthalpy of these two endotherms were correlated to prior isothermal crystallization temperature. The different endotherms were also associated with two different crystalline morphologies observed by optical microscopy and referred to as Network and Spherulitic morphologies. The influence of plasticization and of heterogeneous nucleation on these morphologies was investigated through optical microscopy and calorimetric observations.