Phase Morphology and Performance of Supertough PLA/EMA–GMA/ZrP Nanocomposites Prepared through Reactive Melt-Blending

Abstract

Nanofiller zirconium phosphate (ZrP) and ethylene-methyl acrylate–glycidyl methacrylate copolymer (EMA–GMA) were introduced into poly(lactic acid) (PLA) through reactive melt-blending method to improve its toughness. The impact strength of PLA/EMA–GMA/ZrP (82/15/3) nanocomposites was improved about 22 times that of pure PLA to 65.5 kJ/m2. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) analysis indicated there were compatibilization reactions between the components. The miscibility and thermal behavior of the blends were investigated by dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA), differential scanning calorimetric (DSC), and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) were applied to observe the fractured surface and phase morphology to study the toughness mechanism. A typical core–shell morphology, ZrP wrapped by EMA–GMA phase, was observed in the nanocomposites, which can cause plastic deformations. The supertough effect of the compound was mainly confirmed by effective interfacial compatibilization and massive shear-yielding deformation achieved by the synergy of EMA–GMA with ZrP in the PLA matrix.

Tailoring of advanced poly(lactic acid)‐based materials: A review

“…Processes of PLA melt blending and molding require high operating temperatures above the polymer melting point (up to 200°C) and/or high pressures 16,19,22,24,39,56–68 . After being melted, PLA is shaped into the desired form by molding (with or without a mechanical press) and cooled down to stabilize its dimensions 23 …”

“…Functional properties of PLA materials can be further improved by development of ternary blends 8,22,57,58,60,63,66,67,77,124,159,167 . Klinkajorn & Tanrattanakul 62 added maleic anhydride (0.3–0.6 wt%) to blend of PLA 3 and rubber and improved material mechanical properties (tensile strength from 8 to 24 MPa).…”

“…With 23 wt% of Fe 3 O 4 , impact strength reached 90.1 kJ/m 2 (without fracture), which was 31 times that of neat PLA. Wu et al 66 prepared PLA 3 material with zirconium phosphate and ethylenemethylacrylate‐glycidyl methacrylate with 22 times improved impact strength to that of pure PLA 3 (2.9 kJ/m 2 ). Increase of zirconium content to 3 wt% increased impact strength to 65.5 kJ/m 2 and elongation to 451%.…”

Development of Toughened Flax Fiber Reinforced Composites. Modification of Poly(lactic acid)/Poly(butylene adipate-co-terephthalate) Blends by Reactive Extrusion Process

“…The most common preparation process of this type of material involves reactive blending, which improves the compatibility of the elastomer phase with the polymer matrix. This kind of solution were used also for PLA-based materials, where EBA-GMA [ 28 , 29 , 30 , 31 ], EMA-GMA [ 32 , 33 , 34 ] or natural rubber [ 35 , 36 , 37 , 38 ] was used. Unfortunately, beside the effectiveness of this approach the addition of non-degradable petroleum-based cannot be consider as sustainable solution, which is the reason for development of new methods involving blending PLA with other elastomeric or soft biopolymers.…”

Super‐tough poly(lactic acid) using a fully bio‐based polyester containing malic acid via in‐situ interfacial compatibilization

“…Recently, glycidyl methacrylate (GMA) monomer modified compatibilizers or toughening agents have been wildly used to prepare super-tough PLA materials due to their high efficiency. [18][19][20][21] Normally, the addition of GMA derivative compatibilizer exceeded 10% in realizing a super-tough PLA. [22][23][24] Hence, the biodegradable component in super-tough PLA materials is less than 90%, which would make PLA materials lost their most critical highlight.…”