Rheological and mechanical properties, heat resistance and hydrolytic degradation of poly(butylene succinate-co-adipate)/stereocomplex polylactide blends

In this study, equimolar amounts of poly(l-lactic acid) (PLLA) and poly(d-lactide acid) (PDLA) were melt-blended with PBSA, to obtain a novel and environmentally friendly PBSA/sc-PLA blend, through in situ formation of stereo-complex poly(lactic acid) (sc-PLA). Differential scanning calorimetry and wide-angle X-ray diffractometry confirmed the formation of sc-PLA in PBSA matrix. The sc-PLA was uniformly dispersed in PBSA matrix. Up to 20 wt% sc-PLA concentration, the PBSA/sc-PLA blends showed solid-like flow behavior in the low-frequency region. Moreover, sc-PLA could reinforce the PBSA matrix. The Young's modulus, yield strength, and storage modulus of PBSA/sc-PLA blend increased with increase in sc-PLA content. In addition, the heat deflection temperatures of PBSA/sc-PLA blends increased on incorporation of sc-PLA, thus enhancing the heat resistance. Compared with neat PBSA, the hydrolytic degradation of PBSA/sc-PLA blends was improved. This work provides an effective strategy to obtain high performance PBSA materials and expand the application scope of PBSA.

Automated summary

In this study, a novel and environmentally friendly PBSA/sc-PLA blend was obtained by melt-blending equimolar amounts of PLLA and PDLA with PBSA. The formation of sc-PLA in the PBSA matrix was confirmed by differential scanning calorimetry and wide-angle X-ray diffractometry, and the sc-PLA was uniformly dispersed in the PBSA matrix. The addition of sc-PLA increased the strength, heat resistance, and hydrolytic degradation resistance of the PBSA matrix, providing an effective strategy to improve the performance and expand the application scope of PBSA materials.