Crystallization and Thermal Degradation of Green Nanocomposites Based on Lignin Coated Cellulose Nanocrystals and Poly(Lactic Acid)

2017 ◽  
Vol 737 ◽  
pp. 256-261 ◽  
Author(s):  
Martin Boruvka ◽  
Luboš Bĕhálek

Cellulose is almost inexhaustible source of raw material comprising at least one-third of all biomass matter. Through deconstruction of cellulose hierarchical structure can be extracted highly crystalline cellulose nanocrystals (CNC) with impressive properties. However, the main barrier in the processing of the nanocomposites based on CNC is their inhomogeneous dispersion and distribution in the non-polar polymer matrix. In this paper is this problem addressed by use of novel hydrophobic lignin coated CNC as a biobased nucleation agents in poly (lactic acid) (PLA) nanocomposites. These green nanocomposites based on natural plant derived substances have enormous potential to replace materials originated from non-renewable resources and show promise of providing degradation back into the environment when they are no longer needed. Resulted composites prepared by twin screw extrusion and injection moulding were characterized by means of scanning electron microscopy (SEM), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The addition of L-CNC (1, 2 and 3 wt. %) into PLA increased melt crystallization enthalpy and decreases the cold crystallization enthalpy. The degree of crystallinity (cc) increased from 5.6 % (virgin PLA) to 8.5 % (PLA/1-L-CNC), 10.3 % (PLA/2-L-CNC) and 10.7 % (PLA/3-L-CNC). The wide range of degradation temperatures of lignin coating has been observed starting at 100 °C.

2007 ◽  
Vol 29-30 ◽  
pp. 337-340 ◽  
Author(s):  
M.A. Sawpan ◽  
K.L. Pickering ◽  
Alan Fernyhough

The potential of hemp fibre as a reinforcing material for Poly(lactic acid) (PLA) was investigated. Good interaction between hemp fibre and PLA resulted in increases of 100% for Young’s modulus and 30% for tensile strength of composites containing 30 wt% fibre. Different predictive ‘rule of mixtures’ models (e.g. Parallel, Series and Hirsch) were assessed regarding the dependence of tensile properties on fibre loading. Limited agreement with models was observed. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and x-ray diffraction (XRD) studies showed that hemp fibre increased the degree of crystallinity in PLA composites.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniele Rigotti ◽  
Luca Fambri ◽  
Alessandro Pegoretti

Abstract Composite filaments consisting of poly(lactic acid) (PLA) and micro crystalline cellulose (MCC) were successfully used for additive manufacturing (AM) by fused filament fabrication (FFF). PLA and MCC bio-composites were obtained by direct mixing in a melt compounder; maleic anhydride (MAH) was also grafted onto PLA in reactive mixing stage to evaluate its effect on the final properties of the printed material. Filaments with various concentrations of MCC (up to a maximum content of 10 wt%) were produced with a single screw extruder and used to feed a commercial desktop FFF printer. Upon grafting of PLA with MAH, a more coherent interfacial morphology between PLA and MCC was detected by electron microscopy analysis. The thermal degradation of the PLA was unaffected by the presence of MCC and MAH. According to differential scanning calorimetry and dynamic mechanical analysis results, micro-cellulose acted as nucleating agent for PLA. In fact, the crystallization peak shifted towards lowers temperature and a synergistic effect when MCC was added to PLA grafted with MAH was observed possibly due to the increase of the chain mobility. Micro cellulose led to an increase in the stiffness of the material in both filaments and 3D printed specimen, however, a different fracture behavior was observed due to the peculiar structure of printed samples.


Polymers ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (9) ◽  
pp. 1013 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xuan Wang ◽  
Yuan Jia ◽  
Zhen Liu ◽  
Jiaojiao Miao

Poly(lactic acid) (PLA)/lignin-containing cellulose nanofibrils (L-CNFs) composite films with different lignin contents were produced bythe solution casting method. The effect of the lignin content on the mechanical, thermal, and crystallinity properties, and PLA/LCNFs interfacial adhesion wereinvestigated by tensile tests, thermogravimetric analysis, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), dynamic mechanical analysis, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The tensile strength and modulus of the PLA/9-LCNFs (9 wt % lignin LCNFs) composites are 37% and 61% higher than those of pure PLA, respectively. The glass transition temperature (Tg) decreases from 61.2 for pure PLA to 52.6 °C for the PLA/14-LCNFs (14 wt % lignin LCNFs) composite, and the composites have higher thermal stability below 380 °C than pure PLA. The DSC results indicate that the LCNFs, containing different lignin contents, act as a nucleating agent to increase the degree of crystallinity of PLA. The effect of the LCNFs lignin content on the PLA/LCNFs compatibility/adhesion was confirmed by the FTIR, SEM, and Tg results. Increasing the LCNFs lignin content increases the storage modulus of the PLA/LCNFs composites to a maximum for the PLA/9-LCNFs composite. This study shows that the lignin content has a considerable effect on the strength and flexibility of PLA/LCNFs composites.


2013 ◽  
Vol 2013 ◽  
pp. 1-9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katalin Halász ◽  
Levente Csóka

The aim of this work was to study the characteristics of thermal processed poly(lactic acid) composites. Poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG400), microcrystalline cellulose (MCC), and ultrasound-treated microcrystalline cellulose (USMCC) were used in 1, 3, and 5 weight percents to modify the attributes of PLA matrix. The composite films were produced by twin screw extrusion followed by film extrusion. The manufactured PLA-based films were characterized by tensile testing, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), wide angle X-ray diffraction (WAXD), and degradation test.


2017 ◽  
Vol 751 ◽  
pp. 283-289 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ployrawee Kaewlamyai ◽  
Amornrat Lertworasirikul

Poly (lactic acid) (PLA) is a biopolymer derived from renewable resources and can be disposed of without creating harm to the environment. PLA can be formed by thermoplastic processes and has good mechanical properties. However, its disadvantages are a high crystallization temperature, slow crystallization rate, poor heat stability and low ductility. In the past, it was found that poly (D-lactic acid) (PDLA) can form complexes with poly (L-lactic acid) (PLLA) and the complexes could accelerate the crystallization and increase the degree of crystallinity of the PLA, but decrease the ductility. It is known that polyethylene glycol (PEG) can improve the ductility of PLLA. In this research, PDLA was copolymerized with PEG in an attempt to improve both crystallization behavior and ductility of PLLA. Poly (D-lactic acid)-co-polyethylene glycol (PDEG) was synthesized by ring opening polymerization using D-lactide and PEG at a D-lactide:PEG weight ratio of 10:3. The PDEG was blended with PLLA with a PDEG content of 0wt% to 50wt% by melt blending process. Fourier transform infrared spectrometry (FT-IR) and X-Ray diffractometry (XRD) confirmed the stereocomplex formation between PDEG and PLLA. Characterization by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) revealed that crystallization temperatures of the blends were decreased in the presence of PDEG. Storage moduli and tan of the blends obtained from dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) decreased as PDEG content increased. Polarized optical microscopy (POM) micrographs of blends with PDEG content of 1wt% to 5wt% obviously showed that crystallization rate was increased. PDEG has the potential to be an effective nucleating agent and efficient plasticizer for PLLA.


2015 ◽  
Vol 30 (5) ◽  
pp. 583-598 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chana Prapruddivongs ◽  
Narongrit Sombatsompop

Poly(lactic acid) (PLA) and wood flour/PLA composites were prepared and blended with two antimicrobial agents, triclosan and silver-substituted zeolite (Zeomic), using a twin-screw extruder. The mechanical and thermal properties, antimicrobial activity, and biodegradation performance were investigated. The addition of wood and Zeomic was found to increase the Young’s modulus of the composites, whereas the tensile strength, elongation at break, and impact strength dropped. However, the mechanical properties of PLA and wood/PLA loaded with triclosan did not show any definite trends. Differential scanning calorimetry data indicated that the glass transition temperature value of neat PLA was 63°C, whereas those of wood/PLA composites were lower. When wood and Zeomic were incorporated, PLA exhibited double melting peaks. Triclosan (1.0 and 1.5 wt%) demonstrated antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus, as determined by plate count agar technique, whereas Zeomic did not. Biodegradation tests of neat PLA and wood/PLA composites showed that after a 60-day incubation period, the biodegradation rate of wood/PLA was higher than that of PLA. PLA and wood/PLA-containing Zeomic were found to degrade more quickly, suggesting that wood and Zeomic acted as biodegradation promoters. On the other hand, triclosan could be considered a biodegradation retarder since no biodegradation was observed for any triclosan-loaded samples during the initial 20 days of incubation, while neat PLA and wood/PLA composites began to degrade within the first few days.


Polymers ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (10) ◽  
pp. 1073 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna Lis-Bartos ◽  
Agnieszka Smieszek ◽  
Kinga Frańczyk ◽  
Krzysztof Marycz

Thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) and poly(lactic acid) are types of biocompatible and degradable synthetic polymers required for biomedical applications. Physically blended (TPU+PLA) tissue engineering matrices were produced via solvent casting technique. The following types of polymer blend were prepared: (TPU+PLA) 7:3, (TPU+PLA) 6:4, (TPU+PLA) 4:6, and (TPU+PLA) 3:7. Various methods were employed to characterize the properties of these polymers: surface properties such as morphology (scanning electron microscopy), wettability (goniometry), and roughness (profilometric analysis). Analyses of hydrophilic and hydrophobic properties, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) of the obtained polymer blends were conducted. Tensile tests demonstrated that the blends exhibited a wide range of mechanical properties. Cytotoxicity of polymers was tested using human multipotent stromal cells derived from adipose tissue (hASC). In vitro assays revealed that (TPU+PLA) 3:7 matrices were the most cytocompatible biomaterials. Cells cultured on (TPU+PLA) 3:7 had proper morphology, growth pattern, and were distinguished by increased proliferative and metabolic activity. Additionally, it appeared that (TPU+PLA) 3:7 biomaterials showed antiapoptotic properties. hASC cultured on these matrices had reduced expression of Bax-α and increased expression of Bcl-2. This study demonstrated the feasibility of producing a biocompatible scaffold form based on (TPU+PLA) blends that have potential to be applied in tissue engineering.


2018 ◽  
Vol 26 (5-6) ◽  
pp. 337-345 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nesrine Khitas ◽  
Kamira Aouachria ◽  
Mohamed Tahar Benaniba

Polymer blending is one of the most convenient methods to be used to overcome the limitations of some single properties of polymers and to achieve the combinations required for specific applications. Another feasible common practice is the incorporation of additives of low molecular weight such as plasticisers to impart flexibility, improve toughness and lower the glass transition temperature ( Tg). This study focused on the effects of blending and plasticising on the crystallisation behaviour of poly(lactic acid) (PLA)/poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL). PCL with longer degradation time compared with other polymers was blended with PLA to overcome the limitation of its brittleness and poor thermal stability. Acetyl tributyl citrate (ATBC) and acetyl triethyl citrate (TEC) were used as plasticiser in PLA/PCL blends. The rigid and plasticised blends at various ratios were analysed by differential scanning calorimetry, thermogravimetric analysis and X-ray diffraction. The results revealed a slight increase in the degree of crystallinity and a significant increase in the Tg of PLA due to the addition of PCL. The addition of ATBC has promoted a decrease in thermal stability of the blends. The slight increase in the degree of crystallinity suggested that PCL acted as a nucleating agent. The citrate plasticisers were shown to lower the Tg and have much more enhanced the crystallisation of PLA. Moreover, the rigid and plasticised blends were shown to be partially miscible.


Author(s):  
Zakariaa Refaa ◽  
Mhamed Boutaous ◽  
Shihe Xin ◽  
Patrick Bourgin

PLA (Poly Lactic Acid) is a bio-sourced and a biodegradable polymer. It represents an interesting substitute for some petrochemical based polymers, especially because of its wide range of applications in the biomedical, agriculture and packaging fields. Unfortunately, PLA exhibits slow crystallization kinetics, limiting the amount of crystallinity in the final product, which is a handicap in order to extend its use. Many authors have investigated the crystallization of polymers; nevertheless several physical mechanisms remain not yet understood. This work aims a complete characterization of PLA in order to improve the understanding of its crystallization kinetics. The quiescent crystallization was investigated using Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) measurements in isothermal and non-isothermal conditions for PLA and PLA with 5wt % talc. The flow effect on crystallization was studied using a thermocontrolled hot-stage shearing device (Linkam) coupled with an optical microscope. The number of activated nuclei and the growth rate were measured as functions of temperature. In addition, the linear viscoelastic properties were obtained from a rheometer with plate-plate geometry. The enhancement of the crystallization was quantified and analyzed in terms of the half crystallization time t1/2. This characteristic time t1/2 is found to be drastically decreased by both the talc and the flow which promote supplementary nucleation leading to various crystalline microstructures. The flow is known to orient and stretch molecules leading to an extra nucleation. An original description of this phenomenon is proposed using two characteristic Weissenberg numbers; based on the definition of Rousse and reptation times. Finally, we have proposed a semi-empirical model to quantify the thermal and flow contributions on the crystallization.


Polymers ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 217
Author(s):  
Eduardo Ruiz-Silva ◽  
Mirleth Rodríguez-Ortega ◽  
Luis Carlos Rosales-Rivera ◽  
Francisco Javier Moscoso-Sánchez ◽  
Denis Rodrigue ◽  
...  

In this study, blends of poly(lactic acid) (PLA)/linear medium density polyethylene (LMDPE) at different weight ratios were prepared by rotational molding. Two mixing strategies were used to evaluate the effect of phase dispersion on the physical and mechanical properties: (i) Dry-blending (DB) using a high shear mixer, and (ii) melt-blending (MB) using a twin-screw extruder. Thermal, morphological, and mechanical analyses were performed on the neat polymers and their blends. The thermal analysis was completed by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and the blends prepared by MB had lower thermal stability than the ones prepared via DB due to some thermo-oxidative degradation through the double thermal process (extrusion and rotomolding). The morphology of the rotomolded parts showed that DB generated larger particle sizes (around 500 µm) compared to MB (around 5 µm) due to the shear and elongational stresses applied during extrusion. The tensile and flexural properties of the rotomolded parts combined the PLA stiffness with the LMDPE toughness independent of the blending technique. Neat PLA presented increments in tensile strength (54%) and flexural strength (111%) for DB compared with MB. A synergistic effect in impact strength was observed in blends with 12 and 25 wt. % of PLA prepared by DB.


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