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Polyglycolide as a Biodegradable Nucleating Agent for Poly(L‐lactide) |
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| Authors: | Hideto Tsuji Kohji Tashiro Leevameng Bouapao Junichi Narita |
| Affiliation: | 1. Department of Ecological Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Toyohashi University of Technology, Tempaku‐cho, Toyohashi, Aichi 441‐8580, Japan;2. Department of Future Industry‐Oriented Basic Science and Materials, Graduate School of Engineering, Toyota Technological Institute, Tempaku, Nagoya 468‐8511, Japan;3. Development and Research Center, Tohcello Co. Ltd., Kitatone, Koga, Ibaraki 306‐0213, Japan |
| Abstract: | DSC indicated that the nucleation of PLLA is enhanced in the presence of PGA even at a PGA content as low as 0.1 wt.‐%. However, the enhancing behavior of PGA was different to that of other nucleating agents for PLLA. Polarized optical microscopy revealed that the presence of PGA increased the number of PLLA spherulites per unit area. WAXD showed that in the PLLA/PGA films, PLLA and PGA crystallize separately to form their respective crystallites and PGA crystallites were formed at a PGA content at above 3 wt.‐% (at least). FTIR spectroscopy indicated that that there are significant interactions between PLLA and PGA chains in amorphous regions. Such interactions should have enhanced the growth of PLLA crystallites from the surface of PGA crystallites.  |
| Keywords: | biodegradable polyesters crystallization nucleation poly(glycolic acid) poly(L‐lactic acid) |