Melt intercalation of poly( l-lactide) chains into clay galleries

• Published in: Polymer (Guilford) Vol. 46; no. 18; pp. 7403 - 7409
• Main Authors: Nam, Pham Hoai, Kaneko, Masahiro, Ninomiya, Naoya, Fujimori, Atsuhiro, Masuko, Toru
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Elsevier Ltd 23.08.2005; Elsevier
• Subjects: Applied sciences; Composites; Exact sciences and technology; Forms of application and semi-finished materials; Intercalation; Montmorillonite; Poly( l-lactide); Polymer industry, paints, wood; Technology of polymers; Montmorillonite; Poly( l-lactide); Intercalation; Organic clay; Optically active polymer; Poly(L-Jactide); Dispersion degree; Insertion; Experimental study; Structure processing relationship; Lactic acid polymer; Morphology; Supramolecular structure; Nanocomposite; Growth from melt
• ISSN: 0032-3861; 1873-2291
• DOI: 10.1016/j.polymer.2005.06.023

The melt intercalation of poly( l-lactide) (PLLA) chains into silicate galleries has been investigated via a melting process without any shearing force at elevated temperature. Under the melting process, the incorporation of various types of organo-modified montmorillonites into PLLA matrix lead to the increase in the basal spacing of clay particles in different manner without delamination into individual layers. The changes in layer-stacked structures of the clay particles in the PLLA matrix were examined by use of wide-angle X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy. The effects of clay content in PLLA matrix and clay surfactants on the melt intercalation of PLLA were discussed in terms of chain mobility.