Characterization of the Amorphous and Semicrystalline Environmentally Friendly Biodegradable Poly(lactic acid)/Graphene Nanocomposite Fibers

摘要

Thermal analysis of Poly(lactic acid) (PLLA) and PLLA/Graphene nanocomposite fibers is presented based on results using modern calorimetry. Highly aligned polymer fibers were successfully prepared through electrospinning by appropriate choice of processing conditions. Temperature modulated differential scanning calorimetery (TMDSC) and DSC were used to establish the thermal properties of the amorphous and semicrystalline nanocomposite fibers, such as heat capacity and transition parameters. Based on the apparent heat capacity measurements, the glass transition and melting characteristics are presented and compared in neat PLLA fibers, and nanocomposite fibers containing Graphene. Thermal characterisitcs of PLLA/Graphene nanocompsite fibers are inportant since this material is a candidate as a biodegradable and biocompatible polymer which has good thermal, mechanical, fabrication, and electrical properties. The PLLA/Graphene nanocomposite fibers are also promising candidates for neural cell function and neural tissue engineering.