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To Explore the Effect of Morphology on Mechanical Properties of Polylactic Acid Polycaprolactone Blends Prepared by Multilayer Co-Extrusion

2023.06.29

Due to the different backbone structure, most polymer blends are immiscible, resulting in an unfavorable enthalpy of mixing, resulting in spatial separation between phases. Understanding and controlling the microstructure of this phase separation usually determines the mechanical properties of the mixed polymer. To explore the effect of morphology on mechanical properties of polylactic acid/polycaprolactone blends prepared by multilayer co-extrusion. Nanofiber materials composed of polyester play a key role in several technically demanding fields, especially in the biomedical field. A key feature of polyesters is their ability to adjust mechanical properties through simple component mixing.

In this study, the mixed poly (lactic acid)/poly (ε-caprolactone) (PLA/PCL) fiber was prepared by multilayer co-extrusion. The morphology, crystallinity and grain size of nanofibers were studied in order to understand the synthetic mechanism of nanofibers. The fibers with different weight ratios showed matrix droplet morphology (75/25 PLA/PCL; 25/75 PLA/PCL), and 50/50 PLA/PCL blends showed cocontinuous morphology. All blends show a decrease in two-phase crystallinity, and the change in average grain size usually diminishes after blending. The microscale behavior of the material explains the tensile properties of the fibers. Mechanical analysis shows that the addition of PCL increases ductility and toughness, especially for blends that form a cocontinuous form. The study of the related effects of morphology on crystallinity and mechanics of melt-processed fibers will help to understand the interaction between the two semi-crystalline phases and provide valuable insights for future technological development.

DOI:10.1021/acs.macromol.0c00289

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