Highly Biodegradable and Tough Polylactic Acid–Cellulose Nanocrystal Composite

Abstract

Poly­(l-lactide) cellulose nanocrystals-filled nanocomposites were fabricated by blending of cellulose nanocrystals-g-rubber-g-poly­(d-lactide) (CNC-rD-PDLA) and commercial PLLA, in which CNC-g-rubber was synthesized by ring opening polymerization (ROP) of d-lactide and a ε-caprolactone mixture to obtain CNC-P­(CL-DLA), followed by further polymerization of d-lactide to obtain CNC-rD-PDLA. X-ray diffraction (XRD), nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), and solubility tests confirmed successful grafting of the rubber segment and the PDLA segment onto CNC. Stereocomplexation between CNC-rD-PDLA nanofillers and PLLA matrix was confirmed by FT-IR, XRD, and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) characterization. The PLLA/CNC-rD-PDLA nanocomposites exhibited greatly improved tensile toughness. With 2.5% CNC-rD-PDLA loading, strain at break of PLLA/CNC-rD-PDLA was increased 20-fold, and the composite shows potential to replace poly­(ethylene terephthalate). SEM and small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) investigations revealed that fibrillation and crazing during deformation of PLLA/CNC-rD-PDLA nanocomposites were the major toughening mechanisms in this system. The highly biodegradable and tough cellulose nanocrystals-filled PLLA nanocomposites could tremendously widen the range of industrial applications of PLA.

Tuning the localization of finely dispersed cellulose nanocrystal in poly (lactic acid)/bio‐polyamide11 blends

“…18 Among nanoparticles generally, cellulose nanocrystal (CNC) is known for its superior mechanical properties, low cost, low density, abundance and renewability and is a promising candidate for generating new materials. [19][20][21][22] In recent years, numerous studies have been undertaken to prepare CNC nanocomposites employing melt mixing, solvent casting, or a combination of both. 2,[23][24][25][26][27][28][29][30][31] For example, recently, Dhar et al 29,30 demonstrated a single step reactive extrusion of PLA/CNC nanocomposites with improved processability, recyclability, and potential application for food packaging.…”

Compatibility of Celluloce Nanocrystal Modified Cetrimmonium Chloride (CTAC) in Polylactic Acid Matrix as Packaging Material

“…Polimer-polimer sintesis seperti poliasam laktat (PLA), polihidroalkanoat (PHA), polivinil alkohol (PVA), dan polibutilena suksinat (PBS) merupakan polimer sintesis yang bersifat biodegradable. Polimer-polimer ini bersifat biocompatible dan mudah diproses serta tidak berbahaya ketika terdegradasi ke alam [1,2,3]. Penggunaan PLA sebagai pengemas memiliki kelebihan selain sifatnya yang tidak hanya biodegradable tetapi juga nontoksik karena banyak digunakan dalam bidang biomedis dan nilai kekuatan tariknya yang sebanding dengan polipropilena dan polietilena.…”

“…Penggunaan PLA sebagai pengemas memiliki kelebihan selain sifatnya yang tidak hanya biodegradable tetapi juga nontoksik karena banyak digunakan dalam bidang biomedis dan nilai kekuatan tariknya yang sebanding dengan polipropilena dan polietilena. Namun, kelemahan dari PLA ini adalah kerapuhannya yang tinggi dengan nilai elongasi 4-7% dan kekuatan impaknya hanya sekitar 2,6 kj/m2 [3].…”

High Tg and tough poly(butylene 2,5‐thiophenedicarboxylate‐co‐1,4‐cyclohexanedimethylene 2,5‐thiophenedicarboxylate)s: Synthesis and characterization

“…Nowadays, many studies about bio‐based polymers have begun in the last decade due to an increasing environmental awareness and the depletion of oil resources . Specially, sustainable materials with high‐performance or biodegradability have become the research hot spot, such as poly(ethylene 2,5‐furandicarboxylate) (PEF), poly(1,4‐butylene 2,5‐furandicarboxylate), poly(lactic acid), and poly(butylene 2,5‐thiophenedicarboxylate) (PBTF) …”