Conformational development of polylactide films induced by uniaxial drawing

Uniaxially drawn polylactide ( PLA ) films were prepared using various draw ratios (2, 3, 4 and 4.5) at a constant draw rate and temperature. It was confirmed that the conformational structure of the PLA films prepared using the uniaxial drawing process was composed of the α ′‐phase form. The conformational structure deformation of α ′‐phase PLA films, according to the various draw ratios used, was investigated in terms of strain‐induced crystalline behavior and molecular orientation analysis. It is of utmost importance to confirm the α ′‐phase structural deformation caused by the uniaxial drawing process because it directly relates to the characteristics of PLA films. The conformational structure deformations of the α ′‐phase, created by uniaxial drawing, led to improved mechanical properties, as evident from mechanical testing and dynamic mechanical analyses results. © 2013 Society of Chemical Industry