Morphologies, Compatibilization and Properties of Immiscible PLA-Based Blends with Engineering Polymers: An Overview of Recent Works.

Poly(L-Lactide) (PLA), a fully biobased aliphatic polyester, has attracted significant attention in the last decade due to its exceptional set of properties, such as high tensile modulus/strength, biocompatibility, (bio)degradability in various media, easy recyclability and good melt-state processability by the conventional processes of the plastic/textile industry. Blending PLA with other polymers represents one of the most cost-effective and efficient approaches to develop a next-generation of PLA-based materials with superior properties. In particular, intensive research has been carried out on PLA-based blends with engineering polymers such as polycarbonate (PC), poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET), poly(butylene terephthalate) (PBT) and various polyamides (PA).

Unraveling Ammonia and Trimethylamine Uptake on Conductive Doped Polyaniline.

Polyaniline (PAni)-based sensors are a promising solution for ammonia (NH) detection at the ppb level. However, the nature of the NH-PAni interaction and underlying drivers remain unclear. This paper proposes to characterize the interaction between doped PAni (dPAni) sensing material and NH by using a Knudsen cell.

Rheological Considerations in Processing Self-Reinforced Thermoplastic Polymer Nanocomposites: A Review.

The present review relates to the field of nanocomposite materials comprising a thermoplastic nanofibrillar phase dispersed in a matrix that is also thermoplastic. The fact of forming the nanofibrillar phase in situ during melt processing gives it the role of a reinforcing nanofiller for thermoplastic materials. This paper discusses the major factors influencing the formation of self-reinforced nanofibrillar polymer composite (NFC) materials throughout manufacturing steps.

Solvent-Free Design of Biobased Non-isocyanate Polyurethanes with Ferroelectric Properties.

Increasing energy autonomy and lowering dependence on lithium-based batteries are more and more appealing to meet our current and future needs of energy-demanding applications such as data acquisition, storage, and communication. In this respect, energy harvesting solutions from ambient sources represent a relevant solution by unravelling these challenges and giving access to an unlimited source of portable/renewable energy. Despite more than five decades of intensive study, most of these energy harvesting solutions are exclusively designed from ferroelectric ceramics such as Pb(Zr,Ti)O and/or ferroelectric polymers such as polyvinylidene fluoride and its related copolymers, but the large implementation of these piezoelectric materials into these technologies is environmentally problematic, related with elevated toxicity and poor recyclability.

Processing of PVDF-based electroactive/ferroelectric films: importance of PMMA and cooling rate from the melt state on the crystallization of PVDF beta-crystals.

Poly(vinylidene difluoride) (PVDF) displays attractive ferroelectric/piezoelectric properties and its polar β-crystals are specifically targeted for achieving electroactive applications. However, their direct crystallization from the melt state represents a challenging task that has never been addressed using melt-state processes. The use of poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) is herein investigated to promote the PVDF polar β-phase using melt-blending and extrusion-calendering technologies.

Polylactide/Poly(ω-hydroxytetradecanoic acid) Reactive Blending: A Green Renewable Approach to Improving Polylactide Properties.

A green manufacturing technique, reactive extrusion (REx), was employed to improve the mechanical properties of polylactide (PLA). To achieve this goal, a fully biosourced PLA based polymer blend was conceived by incorporating small quantities of poly(ω-hydroxytetradecanoic acid) (PC14). PLA/PC14 blends were compatibilized by transesterification reactions promoted by 200 ppm titanium tetrabutoxide (Ti(OBu)4) during REx.

Stereocomplexation of polylactide enhanced by poly(methyl methacrylate): improved processability and thermomechanical properties of stereocomplexable polylactide-based materials.

Stereocomplexable polylactides (PLAs) with improved processability and thermomechanical properties have been prepared by one-step melt blending of high-molecular-weight poly(l-lactide) (PLLA), poly(d-lactide) (PDLA), and poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA). Crystallization of PLA stereocomplexes occurred during cooling from the melt, and, surprisingly, PMMA enhanced the amount of stereocomplex formation, especially with the addition of 30-40 % PMMA. The prepared ternary blends were found to be miscible, and such miscibility is likely a key factor to the role of PMMA in enhancing stereocomplexation.