Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Embrittlement of poly (L-lactide)/poly (ε-caprolactone) blends upon physical aging

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
Journal of Polymer Research Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Toughening of poly (L-lactide) (PLLA) by flexible poly (ε-caprolactone) (PCL) is very attractive for biomedical applications. However, PLLA/PCL blends usually behave brittle fracture, which is ascribed to the immiscibility between two components. This study demonstrates that without physical aging dispersed PCL particles can induce significant ductile deformation of PLLA matrix, accompanied by remarkable decreasing of yield strength, opposite to what is observed in the aged blends. It is deduced that segmental mobility of PLLA matrix and crystalline order of PCL domains, rather than immiscibility, play vital role in determining the ductility of PLLA/PCL blends.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Gupta B, Revagade N, Hilborn J (2007) Prog Polym Sci 32:455

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Nampoothiri KM, Nair NR, John RP (2010) Bioresour Technol 101:8493

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. Yang X, Kang S, Hsu SL, Stidham HD, Smith PB, Leugers A (2001) Macromolecules 34:5037

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Kang S, Zhang G, Aou K, Hsu SL, Stidham HD, Yang X (2003) J Chem Phys 118:3430

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Wang ZY, Luo YF, Ye RR, Song XM (2011) J Polym Res 18:499

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Ma C, Huang DL, Chen HC, Chen DL, Xiong ZC (2012) J Polym Res 19:9803

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Luo SH, Wang ZY, Mao CX, Huo JP (2011) J Polym Res 18:2093

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Na YH, He Y, Shuai X, Kikkawa Y, Doi Y, Inoue Y (2002) Biomacromolecules 3:1179

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Wang L, Ma W, Gross RA, McCarthy SP (1998) Polym Degrad Stab 59:161

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Jiang L, Wolcott MP, Zhang J (2006) Biomacromolecules 7:199

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. Li Y, Shimizu H (2007) Macromol Biosci 7:921

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Pan P, Zhu B, Dong T, Yazawa K, Shimizu T, Tansho M, Inoue Y (2008) J Chem Phys 129:184902

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. Na B, Lv R, Zou S, Li Z, Tian N, Fu Q (2010) Macromolecules 43:1702

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Kwon M, Lee SC, Jeong YG (2010) Macromol Res 18:346

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Pan P, Zhu B, Inoue Y (2007) Macromolecules 40:9664

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Na B, Tian N, Lv R, Li Z, Xu W, Fu Q (2010) Polymer 51:563

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Na B, Xu W, Lv R, Li Z, Tian N, Zou S (2010) Macromolecules 43:3911

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. Zhang J, Tsuji H, Noda I, Ozaki Y (2004) J Phys Chem B 108:11514

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. Stoclet G, Seguela R, Lefebvre JM, Rochas C (2010) Macromolecules 43:7228

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. Lv R, Na B, Tian N, Zou S, Li Z, Jiang S (2011) Polymer 52:4979

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. Dell’Erba R, Groeninckx G, Maglio G, Malinconicl M, Migliozzi A (2001) Polymer 42:7831

    Article  Google Scholar 

  22. Argon AS, Cohen RE (2003) Polymer 44:6013

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

This work is financially supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Nos. 50973017 and 21004010), the Program for Young Scientists of Jiangxi Province (No. 20112BCB23023) and the Project of Jiangxi Provincial Department of Education (Nos. GJJ08295 and GJJ11138).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Fundamental Science on Radioactive Geology and Exploration Technology Laboratory, School of Biology, Chemistry and Material Science, East China Institute of Technology, Fuzhou, 344000, People’s Republic of China

    Huayan Pan, Bing Na, Ruihua Lv & Shufen Zou

Authors
  1. Huayan Pan
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Bing Na
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Ruihua Lv
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Shufen Zou
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Bing Na.

Electronic supplementary material

Below is the link to the electronic supplementary material.

Figure

Stress-strain curves of unaged PLLA/PCL blends at indicated tensile speed (DOC 57 kb)

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Pan, H., Na, B., Lv, R. et al. Embrittlement of poly (L-lactide)/poly (ε-caprolactone) blends upon physical aging. J Polym Res 19, 9936 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10965-012-9936-z

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10965-012-9936-z

Keywords

Search

Navigation