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Blending Poly(dimethylsiloxane) with Poly(lactic acid) Using Polyhydroxyurethane Additives
Georges R Younes1, Bentolhoda Heli1,2, Abdellah Ajji1
1CREPEC, Département de Génie Chimique, Polytechnique Montréal, P.O. Box 6079, Station Centre-Ville, Montréal, QC H3C 3A7, Canada.
ACS Applied Engineering Materials
|March 5, 2026
Summary
This study enhances poly(lactic acid) (PLA) flexibility and hydrophobicity using polyhydroxyurethane (PHU) derived from polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS). The resulting blends show improved properties for sustainable packaging and face masks.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Polymer Chemistry
- Biomaterials Engineering
Background:
- Poly(lactic acid) (PLA) is a biodegradable polymer with limitations in flexibility and hydrophobicity.
- Enhancing PLA properties is crucial for expanding its applications in sustainable packaging and biomedical nonwoven materials.
- Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) and polyhydroxyurethane (PHU) offer potential for polymer modification.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the use of PDMS-based PHU as an additive to improve PLA properties.
- To enhance the flexibility, toughness, and hydrophobicity of PLA for specific applications.
- To evaluate the suitability of PLA/PHU blends for biomedical nonwoven materials, such as face masks.
Main Methods:
- Melt-blending of PLA with varying weight percentages of PDMS-based PHU.
- Characterization using spectroscopic, thermal, rheological, morphological, and mechanical analyses.
- Electrospinning of PLA/PHU blends and assessment of nonwoven mat properties and degradation behavior.
Main Results:
- A 5 wt % PHU blend showed a 9-fold increase in elongation at break and an 18° increase in water contact angle.
- Hydrogen bonding confirmed interactions between PLA and PHU, indicating partial miscibility.
- Electrospun PLA/PHU mats exhibited superior hydrophobicity and smaller fiber/pore diameters compared to polypropylene (PP).
- PLA/PHU blends demonstrated accelerated hydrolytic degradation and antibiofouling potential against Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa.
Conclusions:
- PDMS-based PHU effectively enhances PLA's flexibility and hydrophobicity.
- PLA/PHU blends are promising for sustainable packaging and advanced biomedical nonwoven materials.
- The developed materials show potential for use in face masks with improved performance and antibiofouling characteristics.
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