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Unusual cold crystallization behavior in physically aged poly(L-lactide).

Bing Na¹, Shufen Zou, Ruihua Lv

¹Fundamental Science on Radioactive Geology and Exploration Technology Laboratory, School of Biology, Chemistry and Material Science, East China Institute of Technology, Fuzhou, 344000, People's Republic of China.

The Journal of Physical Chemistry. B

|August 20, 2011

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Cold crystallization in poly(L-lactide) (PLLA) is significantly influenced by annealing temperature relative to its glass transition temperature (T(g)). Annealing just above T(g) accelerates crystallization by increasing nucleation density, while annealing below T(g) shows complex behavior due to retarded crystal growth.

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Area of Science:

Polymer Science
Materials Science
Crystallization Kinetics

Background:

Poly(L-lactide) (PLLA) is a biodegradable polymer with applications in biomedical fields.
Understanding cold crystallization is crucial for controlling PLLA's mechanical and thermal properties.
Physical aging and annealing near the glass transition temperature (T(g)) can significantly alter polymer crystallization.

Purpose of the Study:

To comparatively investigate the cold crystallization behavior of PLLA.
To elucidate the effects of annealing below and just above the glass transition temperature (T(g)) on PLLA crystallization.
To understand the interplay between nucleation and crystal growth in aged PLLA.

Main Methods:

Comparative study of PLLA samples subjected to different annealing conditions (below and just above T(g)).
Morphological observations to analyze nucleation density.
Analysis of crystallization kinetics to determine growth rates.

Main Results:

Annealing just above T(g) significantly enhances cold crystallization in PLLA.
PLLA annealed below T(g) exhibits high nucleation density but slow crystallization kinetics.
Retarded crystal growth due to incomplete segmental mobility recovery explains the unusual behavior in PLLA annealed below T(g).

Conclusions:

Annealing just above T(g) accelerates PLLA crystallization primarily through increased nucleation density.
Physical aging below T(g) leads to slower crystal growth, impacting overall crystallization rates.
Controlling annealing conditions relative to T(g) is key to tailoring PLLA's cold crystallization behavior.