Rheology and Extrusion Foaming of Chain-Branched Poly(lactic acid)

In this study, the effect of macromolecular chain-branching on poly(lactic acid) (PLA) rheology, crystallization, and extrusion foaming was investigated. Two PLA grades, an amorphous and a semi-crystalline one, were branched using a multifunctional styrene-acrylic-epoxy copolymer. The branching of PLA and its foaming were achieved in one-step extrusion process. Carbon dioxide (CO2), in concentration up to 9%, was used as expansion agent to obtain foams from the two PLA branched using chain-extender contents up to 2%. The foams were investigated with respect to their shear and elongational behavior, crystallinity, morphology, and density. The addition of the chain-extender led to an increase in complex viscosity, elasticity, elongational viscosity, and in the manifestation of the strain-hardening phenomena. Low-density foams were obtained at 5-9% CO2 for semi-crystalline PLA and only at 9% CO2 in the case of the amorphous PLA. Differences in foaming behavior were attributed to crystallites formation during the foaming process. The rheological and structural changes associated with PLA chain-extension lowered the achieved crystallinity but slightly improved the foamability at low CO2 content. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 50:629-642, 2010. (C) 2009 Society of Plastics Engineers