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Chain entanglement, mechanical properties and drawability of poly(lactide)

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Abstract

The observed brittle fracture behavior of amorphous polylactides seems to be contradicted by the low value ofC ∞ =2 determined for poly(L-lactide) by Flory and coworkers. Such very flexible polymer chains deform by shear yielding, and fracture in a ductile manner. In this study,C ∞ was estimated in a number of ways, resulting in much higher values ofC ∞ =11.7 andC ∞=9.1 for poly(L-lactide) and L- and D-lactide copolymers, respectively. These high values ofC ∞ and the low entanglement density account for the brittle fracture behavior of amorphous poly(lactide), as well as for the maximum attainable draw ratios of poly(L-lactide) networks and melt spun fibers. Bulk polymerized poly(L-lactide) networks, where crystallization during polymerization impedes severe entangling, could be hot-drawn most effectively to draw ratios of 8–16, resulting in very strong materials with tensile strengths of 550–805 MPa. By comparison, amorphous, non-crystallizable L/D lactide networks, which do not crystallize during polymerization, could be drawn less, to λ=7. These materials with strengths up to 460 MPa could, nevertheless, be oriented much more effectively than linear, amorphous L/D lactide copolymers.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Polymer Chemistry, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 4, 9747 AG, Groningen, The Netherlands

    D. W. Grijpma, J. P. Penning & A. J. Pennings

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  1. D. W. Grijpma
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  2. J. P. Penning
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  3. A. J. Pennings
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Grijpma, D.W., Penning, J.P. & Pennings, A.J. Chain entanglement, mechanical properties and drawability of poly(lactide). Colloid Polym Sci 272, 1068–1081 (1994). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00652375

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00652375

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