Toughening of Poly(L-lactide) with Blends of Poly(ε-caprolactone- co-L-lactide) in the Presence of Chain Extender

Yaowalak Srisuwan; Yodthong Baimark; Supakij Suttiruengwong

doi:10.1155/2018/1294397

Toughening of Poly(L-lactide) with Blends of Poly(ε-caprolactone- co-L-lactide) in the Presence of Chain Extender

Int J Biomater. 2018 Sep 12:2018:1294397. doi: 10.1155/2018/1294397. eCollection 2018.

Authors

Yaowalak Srisuwan¹, Yodthong Baimark¹, Supakij Suttiruengwong²

Affiliations

¹ Biodegradable Polymers Research Unit, Department of Chemistry and Center of Excellence for Innovation in Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Mahasarakham University, Mahasarakham 44150, Thailand.
² Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Industrial Technology, Silpakorn University, Sanamchandra Palace Campus, Nakhon Pathom 73000, Thailand.

Abstract

A poly(ε-caprolactone-co-L-lactide) copolyester was synthesized and employed to toughen poly(L-lactide) (PLLA) by reactive melt blending in the presence of an epoxy-based chain extender. The effects of chain extension reaction and copolyester content on properties of PLLA-based blends were studied. The chain extension reaction reduced crystallinity and melt flow index of PLLA/copolyester blends. Meanwhile the copolyester blending improved the crystallinities of the chain-extended PLLA up to 20 wt% copolyester. The phase compatibility between PLLA matrix and dispersed copolyester phases was enhanced by the chain extension reaction. The impact strength of chain-extended PLLA increased with the contents of copolyester and chain extender.