Effect of nanoparticle type and content on morphology, rheology, and crystallinity of poly(lactic acid) using titanium dioxide and polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane nanoparticles

Abstract

In this study, under the same conditions, two different nanoparticles, namely, titanium dioxide (TiO2) and polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (POSS) were added to the poly(lactic acid) (PLA) matrix via the solution casting technique. Morphological analysis showed that POSS had a better distribution within the PLA matrix. However, rheological analysis revealed the stronger influence of TiO2 on shear viscosity values, and a more notable viscosity upturn at moderate to high inclusions of TiO2 within the low shear rate zone. On the other hand, POSS was found to act as a lubricant even at a content of 3 wt% which was attributed to the very small dimensions of POSS. Such lubricating role, found from rheology, caused a boost in the crystallinity of PLA based on differential scanning calorimetry results. Moreover, it was found that TiO2 had an adverse effect on the crystallinity of PLA which was ascribed to the hindered motions of PLA chains upon addition of moderate to high inclusions of TiO2. The results of this study emphasize the crucial role of nanoparticle type and content on the properties of PLA.

Solvation-Free Fabrication of PEO/LiTFSI/SiO2 Composite Electrolyte Membranes with High Ionic Conductivity Based on a Novel Elongational Flow Field

“…From the aforementioned SEM and EDS results, it is certain that SiO 2 can be dispersed extremely evenly in the matrix under the action of the elongational flow field when the SiO 2 content was lower than 5 wt %. Low-content nano-SiO 2 , as reported by other researchers, acts as lubrication, contributing to the chain slip of PEO molecules. , However, this effect will be no longer valid when the SiO 2 content exceeds 5 wt %. When the content of SiO 2 is more than 5 wt %, it will form large amounts of aggregates, which hinders PEO chain movement and thus increases electrolyte membrane viscosity.…”

“…Low-content nano-SiO 2 , as reported by other researchers, acts as lubrication, contributing to the chain slip of PEO molecules. 34,35 However, this effect will be no longer valid when the SiO 2 content exceeds 5 wt %. When the content of SiO 2 is more than 5 wt %, it will form large amounts of aggregates, which hinders PEO chain movement and thus increases electrolyte membrane viscosity.…”

Numerical calculation and properties study on polylactic acid (PLA)/nano-hydroxyapatite (n-HA) composite fluid 3D printed by fused deposition modeling

“…Thus, there is a positive correlation between the outlet viscosity and the outlet pressure, which means that all the PLA/n-HA composite fluids conform to the Barus equation [43][44][45]. That also meant that the addition of n-HA particles didn't change the fluid properties of all the composite fluids, moreover, n-HA particles played the role of plasticizer to a certain extent [46][47][48][49][50][51], it helped to reduce the outlet viscosity, which was beneficial for modeling the 3D parts.…”

Evaluating the mechanical, thermal, and antibacterial properties of poly (lactic acid)/silicone rubber blends reinforced with (3‐aminopropyl) triethoxysilane‐functionalized titanium dioxide nanoparticles

“…Thanks to these remarkable features, PLA is one of the most widely utilized biodegradable and biocompatible plastics used in the industrial packaging field or in the biocompatible/bioabsorbable medical device market. [14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21] Owing to its promising properties, PLA has been used in different applications such as automotive, diapers, water and milk bottles, barriers for sanitary products and food packaging. [3,[22][23][24][25][26][27] Despite its glorious advantages, PLA suffers from some disadvantages such as low thermal stability, brittleness, and poor gas barrier properties that limit its use.…”