Oxidized Multiwalled Carbon Nanotubes as Effective Reinforcement and Thermal Stability Agents of Poly(lactic acid) Ligaments

In this study, nanocomposites of poly(lactic acid) (PLA) containing 0.5, 1, and 2.5 wt % oxidized multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT-COOHs) were prepared by the solved evaporation method. From transmission electron microscopy and scanning electron microscopy micrographs, we observed that the MWCNT-COOHs were well dispersed in the PLA matrix and, additionally, there was increased adhesion between PLA and the nanotubes. As a result, all of the studied nanocomposites exhibited higher mechanical properties than neat PLA; this indicated that the MWCNT-COOHs acted as efficient reinforcing agents, whereas in the nonoxidized multiwalled carbon nanotubes, the mechanical properties were reduced. Nanotubes can act as nucleating agents and, thereby, affect the thermal properties of PLA and, especially, the crystallization rate, which is faster than that of neat PLA. From the thermogravimetric data, we observed that the PLA/MWCNT-COOH nanocomposites presented relatively better thermostability than PLA; this was also verified from the calculation of activation energy. On the contrary, the addition of MWCNT-COOH had a negative effect on the enzymatic hydrolysis rate of PLA. (C) 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 118: 2712-2721, 2010