Related Experiment Video
Updated: Sep 8, 2025

Synthesis of Soft Polysiloxane-urea Elastomers for Intraocular Lens Application
Published on: March 8, 2019
Study on toughening polylactic acid/poly(butylene adipate-co-terephthalate) with a curing network based on
Ruilong Xu1, Feng Zhao1, Li Pang1
1Key Lab of Rubber-Plastics, Ministry of Education/Shandong Provincial Key, Lab of Rubber-Plastics, School of Polymer Science and Engineering, Qingdao University of Science and Technology, Qingdao, 266042, China.
None:
A dynamically crosslinked network VEC (vulcanized ESO and CA) was synthesized in situ via zinc acetate-catalyzed epoxy ring-opening between epoxidized soybean oil (ESO) and anhydrous citric acid (CA), then incorporated into polylactic acid (PLA)/polybutylene adipate terephthalate (PBAT) blends to enhance interfacial compatibility. The dynamic ester-exchange network acted as an intermediate phase, improving the integration of the flexible PBAT phase within the rigid PLA matrix. VEC content critically influenced mechanical properties, with in-situ crosslinking during dynamic vulcanization enhancing chain interactions and blend homogeneity. The optimized composite exhibited elongation at break and impact strength of 434.67 % and 9.12 kJ/m2, corresponding to 1.61- and 2.02-fold increases over PLA/PBAT (70/30). The blends exhibit reprocessability, and after recycling and remolding, the elongation at break achieves 325.875 %, representing a 1.2-fold enhancement compared to PLA/PBAT (70/30). The incorporation of the dynamic crosslinked solidification network VEC significantly improves the melt strength of the PLA/PBAT blends, and the composites achieved complete degradation under alkaline conditions and enhanced hydrophobicity. SYNOPSIS: In this paper, epoxidized soybean oil curing network is introduced into PLA/PBAT to obtain biodegradable materials with excellent properties.
Related Concept Videos
Types of Step-Growth Polymers: Polyesters
Polyesters are commonly prepared from terephthalic acid and ethylene glycol; the crude product is known as poly(ethylene terephthalate) or PET. However, polyesters are synthesized industrially by transesterification of dimethyl terephthalate with ethylene glycol at 150 °C. The two reactants and the...
Polymer Classification: Architecture
Step-Growth Polymerization: Overview
Many natural and synthetic polymers are produced by...
Anionic Chain-Growth Polymerization: Overview
Olefin Metathesis Polymerization: Acyclic Diene Metathesis (ADMET)
Similar to cross-metathesis, ADMET also involves the formation of metallacyclobutane intermediate by [2+2] cycloaddition of one of the double bonds of a terminal diene with...
Free-Radical Chain Reaction and Polymerization of Alkenes

