Volume 135, Issue 31 46596
Article

Interfacial compatibility of super-tough poly(lactic acid)/polyurethane blends investigated by positron annihilation lifetime spectroscopy

Xipo Zhao

Corresponding Author

Xipo Zhao

Hubei Provincial Key Laboratory of Green Materials for Light Industry, Collaborative Innovation Center of Green Light-weight Materials and Processing, Hubei University of Technology, Wuhan 430068, China

Correspondence to: X. Zhao (E-mail: [email protected] or [email protected])Search for more papers by this author
Xiaolei Yu

Xiaolei Yu

Hubei Provincial Key Laboratory of Green Materials for Light Industry, Collaborative Innovation Center of Green Light-weight Materials and Processing, Hubei University of Technology, Wuhan 430068, China

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Hao Chen

Hao Chen

Hubei Provincial Key Laboratory of Green Materials for Light Industry, Collaborative Innovation Center of Green Light-weight Materials and Processing, Hubei University of Technology, Wuhan 430068, China

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Weiyi Zhou

Weiyi Zhou

Hubei Provincial Key Laboratory of Green Materials for Light Industry, Collaborative Innovation Center of Green Light-weight Materials and Processing, Hubei University of Technology, Wuhan 430068, China

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Pengfei Fang

Pengfei Fang

School of Physics and Technology, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China

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Shaoxian Peng

Shaoxian Peng

Hubei Provincial Key Laboratory of Green Materials for Light Industry, Collaborative Innovation Center of Green Light-weight Materials and Processing, Hubei University of Technology, Wuhan 430068, China

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First published: 30 April 2018
Citations: 11

ABSTRACT

Supertough polylactide (PLA)/polyurethane (PU) blends were prepared by reactive blending of PLA with polyester polyol and toluene-2,4-diisocyanate. The free volume and interfacial compatibility between the two polymers were investigated by positron annihilation lifetime spectroscopy. The PU particles dispersed homogeneously in the PLA matrix and self-assembled into a subinclusion microstructure, resulting in fibrils and significant plastic deformation occurs during impact process. More phase interface and free volume cavities formed between PLA and PU boundary because of a good interfacial compatibility between the two polymers, leading to smaller sizes of free volume cavities, and the increasing of the number of these cavities. Therefore, the toughness of PLA was greatly improved by blending PU. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2018, 135, 46596.

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