Combined compatibilization and plasticization effect of low molecular weight poly(Lactic acid) in poly(lactic acid)/poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) blends

Guillaume Miquelard (1, 2) , Alain Guinault (1, 3, 2, 4) , Cyrille Sollogoub (1, 2) , Matthieu Gervais (1, 2, 5)

1 PIMM - Laboratoire Procédés et Ingénierie en Mécanique et Matériaux
2 P2AM - Propriétés et architectures des alliages et mélanges
3 GENIAL - Ingénierie, Procédés, Aliments
4 CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique
5 LCPO - Laboratoire de Chimie des Polymères Organiques

Improving overall properties of poly(lactic acid) (PLA) by blending it with another biobased polymer has been a strong field of research over the last years. In this study we demonstrate the synergetic effect of a small amount (between 0.1 and 1 wt%) of oligomer-like PLA (oLA) on the thermal, mechanical and gas barrier properties of the widely studied PLA-poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) (PHBV) blends (90–10 wt%). Films of PLA/PHBV/oLA blends were prepared via single-screw extrusion. oLA being miscible with both PLA and PHBV, its compatibilizing effect was demon- strated by a decrease of the interfacial tension, a slight shift in the Tgs of both polymers, and an increase in the elongation at break. It was also showed that oLA had a plasticizing effect on the PHBV dispersed phase, increasing its crystallinity rate. This resulted in a decrease in the permeability of the films while improving Young’s modulus.

Mots clés: biopolymers; polymer blends and alloys; toughening; barrier properties; compatibilization

Domaines: Matériaux

Guillaume Miquelard, Alain Guinault, Cyrille Sollogoub, Matthieu Gervais. Combined compatibilization and plasticization effect of low molecular weight poly(Lactic acid) in poly(lactic acid)/poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) blends. Express Polymer Letters, 2018, 12 (2), pp.114-125 ·. ⟨10.3144/expresspolymlett.2018.10⟩. ⟨hal-01900654⟩