OPEN CELL MICROCELLULAR FOAMS OF POLY(LACTIC ACID) BLEND WITH POLY(BUTYLENES SUCCINATE)

摘要

Biodegradable poly(lactic acid) (PLA)-based PLA/Poly(butylenes succinate) (PBS) foams with open cell structure were prepared via batch foaming method using supercritical carbon dioxide as blowing agent. It was found that PLA was immiscible with PBS, and PBS phase was dispersed as tiny spheres or large domains at various concentrations. The addition of PBS reduced the viscosity of the blends. During foaming process, the PLA/PBS interfaces acted as cell nucleation sites and the low melt strength PBS contributed to the formation of cell connection channels, which resulted in open cell structure. The investigation of PBS content found that PLA/PBS (80/20) foamed at 100 °C obtained the highest cell opening rate (96.2%).