Use of crosslinking agent to produce high‐performance PLA/EVA blends via reactive processing

Poly (lactic acid) (PLA) is one of the most currently investigated polymers due to its production from renewable sources and biodegradability. Being a brittle polymer, PLA has low toughness, limiting its use for commercial applications. Therefore, the present work aims to produce PLA blends, using t...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of vinyl & additive technology 2023-01, Vol.29 (1), p.161-175
Main Authors: Ferreira, Eduardo da Silva Barbosa, Luna, Carlos Bruno Barreto, dos Santos Filho, Edson Antonio, Wellen, Renate Maria Ramos, Araújo, Edcleide Maria
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Biodegradability
Compatibilizers
Copolymers
Crosslinking
Dicumyl peroxide
dynamic vulcanization
Elongation
Ethylene vinyl acetates
ethylene‐vinyl acetate
Impact strength
Melt flow index
Morphology
poly (lactic acid)
Polylactic acid
Polymer blends
Polymers
Reactive processing
Rheometry
super‐tough blends
Tensile properties
Thermal stability
Thermogravimetry
Torque
Vinyl acetate
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Summary:Poly (lactic acid) (PLA) is one of the most currently investigated polymers due to its production from renewable sources and biodegradability. Being a brittle polymer, PLA has low toughness, limiting its use for commercial applications. Therefore, the present work aims to produce PLA blends, using the ethylene‐vinyl acetate copolymer (EVA), dynamically vulcanized with dicumyl peroxide (DCP) as a crosslinking agent. A 70/30 mixture of PLA/EVA was produced with 0.2, 0.4, 0.6, 0.8, and 1.0 phr DCP. The produced blends were characterized by torque rheometry, melt flow index (MFI), gel content, thermogravimetry (TG), and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). Tensile properties, impact strength, heat deflection temperature (HDT), and blends morphologies (SEM) were also studied. The presence of increased dynamically vulcanized systems with added DCP was verified through torque rheometry, MFI, and gel content. Substantial increases in the impact strength and elongation at break were observed in PLA/EVA/DCP, providing super‐tough materials at 0.6, 0.8, and 1.0 phr of DCP, with impact strengths of 829.5, 860.3, and 890.2 J/m and elongation at break of 138.5, 146.8, and 120.4%, respectively. These results are promising when compared with engineering polymers and blends. This is probably due to in situ compatibilizer PLA‐g‐EVA, which resulted in a homogeneous morphology as evidenced by SEM images.
ISSN:1083-5601
1548-0585
DOI:10.1002/vnl.21951