Silica‐filled polylactide (PLA) nanocomposites were prepared by melt compounding. The oscillatory rheological properties and biodegradation behavior were then investigated. As the silica loadings reach up to 5 wt%, percolated silica network structures form. For the percolated PLA/silica nanocomposites sample (the silica content was >5 wt%), the modulus enhances with an increase of temperature evidently. Moreover, it is interesting to find that the biodegradation rates have been enhanced obviously in the PLA/silica nanocomposites than in neat PLA. The erosion mechanism of neat PLA and the PLA/silica nanocomposites was further discussed. POLYM. COMPOS., 2012. © 2012 Society of Plastics Engineers

Poly(L‐lactide) (PLLA) was prepared via melt blending and nucleated using three layered metal phosphonates, i.e. zinc phenylphosphonate (PPZn), calcium phenylphosphonate (PPCa) and barium phenylphosphonate (PPBa). The morphology, crystallization and enzymatic hydrolysis of PLLA nucleated using PPZn, PPCa and PPBa were investigated. The results of both wide‐angle X‐ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy observations show that the layers of PPZn, PPCa or PPBa are barely exfoliated or intercalated by PLLA chains in the melt‐blending process. PPZn, PPCa and PPBa serve as effective nucleating agents, accelerating both non‐isothermal and isothermal crystallization and enzymatic hydrolysis of PLLA. An interesting aspect is that the nucleating ability of PLLA incorporating PPZn, PPCa and PPBa decreases in the order PPZn > PPCa > PPBa, whereas the enzymatic hydrolysis of PLLA incorporating PPZn, PPCa and PPBa decreases in the reverse order, which is due to the different dispersion and interfacial interactions of PPZn, PPCa and PPBa throughout the PLLA matrix. Copyright © 2010 Society of Chemical Industry

Glycidyl methacrylate-functionalized methyl methacrylate-butadiene (MB-g-GMA) copolymers were prepared via an emulsion polymerization process. These functionalized copolymers were blended with polylactide (PLA). Dynamic mechanical analysis and differential scanning calorimetry results showed that the addition of MB-g-GMA did not result in a marked change in the glass transition temperature of PLA. With an increase of MB-g-GMA content, the tensile strength of the blends decreased; however, the elongation at break and impact strength increased significantly. From scanning electron micrographs, there was large plastic deformation (shear yielding) in blends subjected to impact tests, which was an important energy-dissipation process and led to a toughened polymer. Rheological investigation demonstrated that there was a significant dependence of viscosity on composition. When the MB-g-GMA content increased, the viscosity began to increase.