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The spherulitic growth of poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) was found to continue in the spherulites of poly(butylene adipate-co-butylene succinate) (PBAS) in the simultaneous spherulitic growth process of the two components in PBAS/PEO blends. This phenomenon, namely the formation of interpenetrating spherulites (IPS), was analyzed on the basis of birefringence observed by polarizing optical microscopy. The growth direction of PEO lamellae in the PBAS spherulites was found to be along the preexisting PBAS lamellae. PEO crystals also nucleated inside PBAS spherulites and showed spherulitic growth in them at relatively high crystallization temperatures. The conditions for realizing IPS were also discussed. Miscibility in these novel crystalline/crystalline polymer blends in the molten state was confirmed by differential scanning calorimetry and optical microscopy.

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Biodegradable poly(L-lactide) (PLLA)/multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) nanocomposites were prepared via solution blending using two kinds of MWNTs, i.e., pristine multiwalled carbon nanotubes (p-MWNTs) and carboxyl-functionalized multiwalled carbon nanotubes (f-MWNTs). Various techniques were used to investigate the functionalization of MWNTs on the morphology, crystallization, and hydrolytic degradation of PLLA in the nanocomposites. Both MWNTs show fine dispersion in the PLLA matrix; however, the dispersion of f-MWNTs is better than that of p-MWNTs. The incorporation of MWNTs accelerates the crystallization of PLLA in the nanocomposites due to the heterogeneous nucleation effect; furthermore, the crystallization rate of PLLA is faster in the PLLA/f-MWNTs nanocomposite than in the PLLA/p-MWNTs nanocomposite. The exciting aspect of this research is that the hydrolytic degradation of PLLA is enhanced after nanocomposites preparation.