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Supercritical fluid technology parameters affecting size and behavior of stereocomplex polylactide particles and their composites
Author(s) -
Im Seung Hyuk,
Lee Cheol Woo,
Bibi Gulnaz,
Jung Youngmee,
Kim Soo Hyun
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
polymer engineering and science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.503
H-Index - 111
eISSN - 1548-2634
pISSN - 0032-3888
DOI - 10.1002/pen.24681
Subject(s) - materials science , supercritical fluid , composite material , lactic acid , filler (materials) , polymer , sonication , homogenization (climate) , particle size , rheology , chemical engineering , organic chemistry , biodiversity , ecology , chemistry , biology , bacteria , engineering , genetics
Polylactide (PLA) is a eco‐friendly and biodegradable material that can be synthesized from renewable resources. PLA features poly( d ‐lactic acid) (PDLA) and poly( l ‐lactic acid) (PLLA) enantiomers. Supercritical fluid (SCF) technology is a very promising method for the stereocomplexation between PDLA and PLLA enantiomers. This study acquires stereocomplex (sc‐)PLA particles with diverse sizes and behaviors by controlling the experimental conditions. Various parameters including polymer concentration, reaction temperature, stirring speed, pressure reducing speed, and final temperature were controlled to adjust size and behavior of sc‐PLA particles. Additionally, we analyzed the effect of subsequent processing following SCF (such as homogenization, mechanical stirring, and sonication) on the size and morphological behavior of sc‐PLA particles. Finally, the mechanical strengths of different PLA composites featuring different sc‐PLA filler sizes were determined. The mechanical strength of PLA composites was significantly improved when using smaller filler sizes. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 58:1193–1200, 2018. © 2017 Society of Plastics Engineers