Supertough biocompatible and biodegradable polylactide materials were fabricated by applying a novel and facile method involving reactive blending of polylactide (PLA) and poly(ethylene glycol) diacylate (PEGDA) monomer with no addition of exogenous radical initiators. Torque analysis and FT-IR spectra confirm that cross-linking reaction of acylate groups occurs in the melt blending process according to the free radical polymerization mechanism. The results from differential scanning calorimetry, phase contrast optical microscopy and transmission electron microscopy indicate that the in situ polymerization of PEGDA leads to a phase separated morphology with cross-linked PEGDA (CPEGDA) as the dispersed particle phase domains and PLA matrix as the continuous phase, which leads to increasing viscosity and elasticity with increasing CPEGDA content and a rheological percolation CPEGDA content of 15 wt %. Mechanical properties of the PLA materials are improved significantly, for example, exhibiting improvements by a factor of 20 in tensile toughness and a factor of 26 in notched Izod impact strength at the optimum CPEGDA content. The improvement of toughness in PLA/CPEGDA blends is ascribed to the jointly contributions of crazing and shear yielding during deformation. The toughening strategy in fabricating supertoughened PLA materials in this work is accomplished using biocompatible PEG-based polymer as the toughening modifier with no toxic radical initiators involved in the processing, which has a potential for biomedical applications.

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The synergistic effects of fumed silica on the thermal and flame-retardant properties of intumescent flame retardant (IFR) polypropylene based on the NP phosphorus-nitrogen compound have been studied by Fourier transfer infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, cone calorimeter test (CCT), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), limiting oxygen index (LOI), and UL-94 tests. The LOI and UL-94 data show that when 1 wt % fumed silica substituted for the IFR additive NP can increase 2 to 4% LOI values of the PP blends and keep the V-0 rating. The data obtained from the CCT tests indicate the heat release rates (HRR) reduce by about 23% for the PP/NP sample with 0.5 wt % fumed silica, whereas the mass loss rates (MLR) and total heat release (THR) values are much lower than those of the PP/NP samples without fume silica. The TGA data demonstrate that a suitable amount of fumed silica can increase the thermal stability and charred residue of the PP/IFR/SiO 2 blends after 500 C.The morphological structures of charred residues observed by SEM give positive evidence that a suitable amount of fumed silica can promote the formation of compact intumescent charred layers and prevent the charred layers from cracking, which effectively protects the underlying polymer from burning. The dynamic FTIR spectra reveal that the synergistic flame-retardant mechanism of a suitable amount of fumed silica with IFR additive is due to its physical process in the condensed phases. However, a high loading of fumed silica restricts the formation of charred layers with PAOAP and PAOAC complexes formed from burning of polymer materials and destroys the swelling behavior of intumescent charred layers, which deteriorates the flame retardant and thermal properties of the PP/IFR blends.