Modification of polycarbonate by adding poly(L-lactide)

In this study, the blend of polycarbonate (PC)/poly(L-lactide) (PLLA) (70/30) was prepared through the conventional extrusion-injection-molding process. The morphology of the blend was characterized using scanning electron microscope. Both differential scanning calorimetry and wide angle X-ray diffraction were used to investigate the crystallization behavior of PLLA component in the blend. The mechanical and thermal properties of the blend were comparatively investigated, and the hydrolytic degradation ability of the material was also evaluated. The results show that the dispersed-PLLA particles are in the amorphous state in the PC matrix. Although the blend is immiscible, the rigid PLLA particles exhibit the toughening and reinforcement effects on PC simultaneously. Specifically, the heat-distortion temperature of the blend is comparable to that of pure PC. (c) 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci., 2013