Fully Biobased Shape Memory Thermoplastic Vulcanizates from Poly(Lactic Acid) and Modified Natural Eucommia Ulmoides Gum with Co-Continuous Structure and Super Toughness

Yan Wang; Jinhui Liu; Lin Xia; Mei Shen; Liping Wei; Zhenxiang Xin; Jinkuk Kim

doi:10.3390/polym11122040

Fully Biobased Shape Memory Thermoplastic Vulcanizates from Poly(Lactic Acid) and Modified Natural Eucommia Ulmoides Gum with Co-Continuous Structure and Super Toughness

Polymers (Basel). 2019 Dec 9;11(12):2040. doi: 10.3390/polym11122040.

Authors

Yan Wang¹, Jinhui Liu¹, Lin Xia¹, Mei Shen¹, Liping Wei¹, Zhenxiang Xin¹, Jinkuk Kim²

Affiliations

¹ Key Laboratory of Rubber-Plastics, Ministry of Education/Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Rubber-Plastics, School of Polymer Science and Engineering, Qingdao University of Science and Technology, Qingdao 266042, China.
² 404-424 Elastomer Lab, Gyeongsang National University, 501 Jinju-daero, Jinju 52828, Korea.

Abstract

Novel, fully biobased shape memory thermoplastic vulcanizates (TPVs) were prepared using two sustainable biopolymers, poly(lactic acid) (PLA), and modified natural Eucommia ulmoides gum (EUG-g-GMA), via a dynamic vulcanization technique. Simultaneously, in situ compatibilization was achieved in the TPVs to improve interfacial adhesion and the crosslinked modified Eucommia ulmoides gum (EUG) was in "netlike" continuous state in the PLA matrix to form "sea-sea" phase structure. The promoted interface and co-continuous structure played critical roles in enhancing shape memory capacity and toughness of the TPVs. The TPV with 40 wt % modified EUG displayed the highest toughness with an impact strength of 54.8 kJ/m² and the most excellent shape memory performances with a shape fixity ratio (R_f) of 99.83% and a shape recovery ratio (R_r) of 93.74%. The prepared shape memory TPVs would open up great potential applications in biobased shape memory materials for smart medical devices.

Keywords: co-continuous structure; dynamic vulcanization; in situ compatibilization; modified natural Eucommia ulmoides gum; poly(lactic acid); shape memory.