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Long chain branched structures of polylactic acid through reactive extrusion with styrene-acrylic copolymers bearing epoxy functional groups

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Abstract

The influence and development of structural modifications through a reactive process between polylactic acid (PLA) and an epoxy-functional copolymer were investigated, resulting in complex long chain branching (LCB) structures in the copolymer architecture. Structural modifications result in improvements in properties of PLA such as the glass transition temperature (Tg) which increases up to 6 °C and the percentage of crystallization (χc) that increases up to 324%. Some of these improvements were reflected in thermal stability increases up to 25 °C. The formation of complex structures of the processed materials were assessed by calorimetric, thermogravimetric and rheological studies.

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Acknowledgements

Eduardo Martínez-Mercado acknowledges financial support from CONACyT and Universidad Iberoamericana to carry out his experimental work and his graduate studies.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Departamento de Ingeniería y Ciencias Químicas, Universidad Iberoamericana, Prol. Paseo de la Reforma No. 880, Lomas de Santa Fe, 01219, Ciudad de México, Mexico

    Eduardo Martínez-Mercado & F. Alberto Ruiz-Treviño

  2. Rheomod de México, S.A.P.I. de C.V, Jesús del Monte No. 39, 52764, Huixquilucan, Estado de México, Mexico

    Alfonso González-Montiel & Leticia Flores-Santos

  3. CIATEQ, Circuito de la Industria Poniente Lote 11, Manzana 3, No. 11, Col. Parque Industrial Exhacienda Doña Rosa, 52004, Lerma, Estado de México, Mexico

    Luis E. Lugo-Uribe

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  1. Eduardo Martínez-Mercado
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  2. F. Alberto Ruiz-Treviño
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  3. Alfonso González-Montiel
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  4. Luis E. Lugo-Uribe
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  5. Leticia Flores-Santos
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Correspondence to F. Alberto Ruiz-Treviño.

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Martínez-Mercado, E., Ruiz-Treviño, F.A., González-Montiel, A. et al. Long chain branched structures of polylactic acid through reactive extrusion with styrene-acrylic copolymers bearing epoxy functional groups. J Polym Res 26, 260 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10965-019-1938-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10965-019-1938-7

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