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A Facile and Eco-friendly Route to Fabricate PolyLactic Acid Scaffolds with Graded Pore Size
Published on: October 17, 2016
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Super tough poly(lactic acid) blends: a comprehensive review.
Xipo Zhao1, Huan Hu1, Xin Wang1
1Hubei Provincial Key Laboratory of Green Materials for Light Industry, Collaborative Innovation Center of Green Light-weight Materials and Processing, Hubei University of Technology Wuhan 430068 China xpzhao123@163.com psxbb@126.com.
RSC Advances
|May 2, 2022
Summary
Toughening poly(lactic acid) (PLA) via polymer blending significantly enhances its impact strength. This review details methods and materials, including elastomers and biodegradable polymers, to create super tough PLA for broader applications.
Area of Science:
- Polymer Science and Engineering
- Materials Science
- Sustainable Materials
Background:
- Poly(lactic acid) (PLA) is a renewable, biodegradable polymer with potential to replace petrochemical plastics.
- PLA's inherent brittleness limits its applications, necessitating toughness enhancement.
- Improving PLA's mechanical properties is a key research focus in academia and industry.
Purpose of the Study:
- To systematically review and organize advancements in creating super tough poly(lactic acid) (PLA) through polymer blending.
- To discuss miscibility, compatibility, and modification strategies for PLA-based blends.
- To analyze toughening approaches and structure-property relationships in enhanced PLA.
Main Methods:
- Comprehensive literature review of polymer blending techniques for PLA toughening.
- Systematic organization of various polymers used for PLA modification.
- Analysis of toughening strategies, morphological parameters, and resulting mechanical properties.
Main Results:
- Various polymers, including elastomers (PU, bio-based, polyester), glycidyl ester copolymers (EGMA, EBA-GMA), and biodegradable polymers (PBAT, PCL, PBS, starch), effectively toughen PLA.
- Super tough PLA blends with impact strength exceeding 50 kJ m⁻² have been developed.
- Key morphological parameters like particle size and phase morphology significantly influence blend properties.
Conclusions:
- Polymer blending is a viable strategy to overcome PLA's inherent brittleness and enhance its toughness.
- Careful selection of blending components and control of morphology are crucial for achieving super tough PLA.
- Toughened PLA offers a sustainable alternative for a wider range of applications.
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