The Effect of Core-Shell Ratio of Acrylic Impact Modifier on Toughening PLA: RESEARCH ARTICLE

Acrylic impact modifier (ACR), one kind of methyl methacrylate–butyl acrylate copolymer with a core–shell structure, was prepared by seed emulsion polymerization. The weight ratio of core–shell ranges from 85.5/14.5 to 71.9/28.1. Then PLA/ACR blends were prepared with a constant ratio of 80/20. The effect of core–shell ratio of ACR on toughening PLA was investigated. Torque analysis revealed that the torque values of PLA/ACR blends increased with increasing shell content of ACR. The impact strength of PLA/ACR blends reached the highest value of 77.1 kJ m−2 when the core–shell ratio of ACR was 79.2/20.8. Transmission electron microscope (TEM) photographs revealed that ACR was dispersed uniformly in the PLA matrix. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) suggested that the plastic deformation and cavitations were the major toughening mechanism for the PLA/ACR blends. The shell partition PMMA of ACR was partially miscible with PLA from dynamic mechanical analysis.

[1]  P. Dubois,et al.  Toughening of poly(lactide) using polyethylene glycol methyl ether acrylate: Reactive versus physical blending , 2015 .

[2]  É. Grau,et al.  Fatty acid-based thermoplastic poly(ester-amide) as toughening and crystallization improver of poly(l-lactide) , 2015 .

[3]  Mohamed A. Abdelwahab,et al.  Thermo‐mechanical characterization of bioblends from polylactide and poly(butylene adipate‐co‐terephthalate) and lignin , 2015 .

[4]  Hongyu Liang,et al.  Assessment of miscibility, crystallization behaviors, and toughening mechanism of polylactide/acrylate copolymer blends , 2015 .

[5]  Li-song Dong,et al.  Toughening of polylactide with epoxy-functionalized methyl methacrylate–butyl acrylate copolymer , 2014, Polymer Bulletin.

[6]  Chun-peng Wang,et al.  Study on Tough Blends of Polylactide and Acrylic Impact Modifier , 2014 .

[7]  Jianming Zhang,et al.  Cold-crystallization behavior of poly(L-lactide)/ACR blend films investigated by in situ FTIR spectroscopy , 2013 .

[8]  Satyendra Mishra,et al.  Rheological, thermal and mechanical properties of nano-calcium carbonate (CaCO3)/Poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) core-shell nanoparticles reinforced polypropylene (PP) composites , 2013, Macromolecular Research.

[9]  Lijing Han,et al.  Toughening of polylactide by melt blending with methyl methacrylate–butadiene–styrene copolymer , 2012 .

[10]  Runxiong Lin,et al.  Mechanical properties and crystallization of Poly(L-lactide) films with several percents of ACR nanoparticles , 2012 .

[11]  P. J. Lemstra,et al.  Toughening of poly(lactic acid) by ethylene-co-vinyl acetate copolymer with different vinyl acetate contents , 2012 .

[12]  B. Meng,et al.  Transparent and ductile poly(lactic acid)/poly(butyl acrylate) (PBA) blends: Structure and properties , 2012 .

[13]  Mingyao Zhang,et al.  Polylactide toughening with epoxy-functionalized grafted acrylonitrile–butadiene–styrene particles , 2011 .

[14]  A. Chatterjee,et al.  Polymer nanoparticles: their effect on rheological, thermal, and mechanical properties of linear low-density polyethylene (LLDPE) , 2011 .

[15]  A. Chatterjee,et al.  Effect of nano‐polystyrene (nPS) on thermal, rheological, and mechanical properties of polypropylene (PP) , 2011 .

[16]  Satyendra Mishra,et al.  Novel synthesis of polymer and copolymer nanoparticles by atomized microemulsion technique and its characterization , 2011 .

[17]  M. Sain,et al.  Mechanical Properties and Morphology of Polylactide Composites with Acrylic Impact Modifier , 2011 .

[18]  B. Meng,et al.  Toughening of polylactide with higher loading of nano-titania particles coated by poly(ε-caprolactone) , 2011 .

[19]  Hongzhi Liu,et al.  Super Toughened Poly(lactic acid) Ternary Blends by Simultaneous Dynamic Vulcanization and Interfacial Compatibilization , 2010 .

[20]  Megan L. Robertson,et al.  Reactive Compatibilization of Poly(l-lactide) and Conjugated Soybean Oil , 2010 .

[21]  C. Bucknall,et al.  Notched impact behavior of polymer blends: Part 1: New model for particle size dependence , 2009 .

[22]  P. Dubois,et al.  Plasticization of poly(lactide) with blends of tributyl citrate and low molecular weight poly(d,l-lactide)-b-poly(ethylene glycol) copolymers , 2009 .

[23]  Long Jiang,et al.  Properties of Poly(lactic acid)/Poly(butylene adipate-co-terephthalate)/Nanoparticle Ternary Composites , 2009 .

[24]  Michael P. Wolcott,et al.  Comparison of polylactide/nano-sized calcium carbonate and polylactide/montmorillonite composites: Reinforcing effects and toughening mechanisms , 2007 .

[25]  Yongjin Li,et al.  Toughening of polylactide by melt blending with a biodegradable poly(ether)urethane elastomer. , 2007, Macromolecular bioscience.

[26]  B. Wesslén,et al.  Preparation and properties of plasticized poly(lactic acid) films. , 2005, Biomacromolecules.

[27]  Susan Selke,et al.  An overview of polylactides as packaging materials. , 2004, Macromolecular bioscience.

[28]  Shen‐guo Wang,et al.  Miscibility and phase structure of binary blends of polylactide and poly(methyl methacrylate) , 2003 .

[29]  C. Choy,et al.  Effects of interfacial adhesion on the rubber toughening of poly(vinyl chloride) Part 1. Impact tests , 2001 .

[30]  G. Michler,et al.  Micromechanical deformation processes in toughened and particle-filled semicrystalline polymers: Part 1. Characterization of deformation processes in dependence on phase morphology , 1998 .

[31]  K. Landfester,et al.  Characterization of Interfaces in Core−Shell Polymers by Advanced Solid-State NMR Methods , 1996 .

[32]  T. Karjalainen,et al.  Biodegradable lactone copolymers. I: Characterization and mechanical behavior of ε-caprolactone and lactide copolymers , 1996 .

[33]  D. Grijpma,et al.  Rubber toughening of poly(lactide) by blending and block copolymerization , 1994 .

[34]  A. Yee,et al.  Toughening mechanisms in elastomer-modified epoxies , 1986 .