Crystalline structure and morphology of poly(L-lactide) formed under high pressure

The poly(l-lactide) (PLLA) samples were prepared by the annealing under 100 MPa at 75–145°C and 200 MPa at 105–145°C for 6 h, respectively. The crystalline structures, thermal properties and morphology were investigated using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), wide-angle X-ray diffraction (WAXD), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). On the basis of the DSC and WAXD results, it can be seen that the α′ form was formed by the annealing under 100 MPa at 85–95°C but not found under 200 MPa at 105–145°C. A phase diagram of PLLA crystal form under high pressure was constructed under the given experimental conditions, which displayed the α′ form was formed at limited temperature and pressure range. Besides, SEM suggested that the PLLA samples annealed under 100 MPa crystallize to form lamellar-like crystals due to the low growth rate and the confined crystallization behavior under high pressure. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2014, 131, 40637.