ISOTHERMAL CRYSTALLIZATION KINETICS OF POLY(LACTIC ACID)/ MONTMORILLONITE NANOCOMPOSITES

摘要

Poly(lactic acid)(PLA) is a linear aliphatic thermoplastic polyester, produced from renewable resources, and is readily biodegradable through hydrolytic and enzymatic pathways [1].The mechanical properties and degradation rates of PLA depend on their morphology and crystallinity. In recent years, a lot of studies have been focused on the crystallization behavior of PLA, especially the effects of undercooling and the addition of inorganic filler acted as nucleating agent. In this report, PLA/montmorillonite (MMT) nanocomposites were prepared by mixed PLA with commercial organically-modified MMT, such is, Cloisite 30B, through melt blending process. The isothermal crystallization kinetics and crystalline structure of PLA/MMT nanocomposites were investigated using the differential scanning calorimeter (DSC), polarized optical microscopy (POM), and X-Ray diffraction (XRD).