Crystallization of triethyl-citrate-plasticized poly(lactic acid) induced by chitin nanocrystals
The aim of this study was to gain a better understanding of the crystallization behavior of triethyl-citrate-plasticized poly(lactic acid) (PLA–TEC) in the presence of chitin nanocrystals (ChNCs). The isothermal crystallization behavior of PLA–TEC was studied by polarized optical microscopy, scannin...
| Autores: | , , |
|---|---|
| Tipo de recurso: | artículo |
| Fecha de publicación: | 2019 |
| País: | España |
| Institución: | Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC) |
| Repositorio: | UPCommons. Portal del coneixement obert de la UPC |
| Idioma: | inglés |
| OAI Identifier: | oai:upcommons.upc.edu:2117/176510 |
| Acceso en línea: | https://hdl.handle.net/2117/176510 https://dx.doi.org/10.1002/app.47936 |
| Access Level: | acceso abierto |
| Palabra clave: | Nanocrystals Chitin nanocrystals Isothermal crystallization Microstructure Plasticizer Poly(lactic acid) Cristal·lització Nanocristalls Àrees temàtiques de la UPC::Enginyeria dels materials::Materials plàstics i polímers |
| Sumario: | The aim of this study was to gain a better understanding of the crystallization behavior of triethyl-citrate-plasticized poly(lactic acid) (PLA–TEC) in the presence of chitin nanocrystals (ChNCs). The isothermal crystallization behavior of PLA–TEC was studied by polarized optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, differential scanning calorimetry, and X-ray diffraction (XRD). Interestingly, the addition of just 1 wt % ChNCs in PLA–TEC increased the crystallization rate in the temperature range of 135–125 °C. The microscopy studies confirmed the presence of at least three distinct types of spherulites: negative, neutral, and ring banded. The ChNCs also increased the degree of crystallinity up to 32%, even at a fast cooling rate of 25¿°C min-1. The XRD studies further revealed the nucleation effect induced by the addition of ChNCs and thus explained the faster crystallization rate. To conclude, the addition of a small amount (1 wt %) of ChNC to plasticized PLA significantly affected its nucleation, crystal size, and crystallization speed; therefore, the proposed route can be considered suitable for improving the crystallization behavior of PLA. |
|---|