Non-isothermal crystallization behavior of poly(L-lactic acid) in the presence of various additives

The effects of various additives: poly(D-lactic acid) (PDLA), talc, fullerene C-60, montmorillonite, and various polysaccharides on the non-isothermal crystallization behavior Of poly(L-lactic acid) (PLLA), during both the heating of melt-quenched films from room temperature, and the cooling of as-cast films from the melt, was investigated. When the melt-quenched PLLA films were heated from room temperature, the overall PLLA crystallization was accelerated upon addition of PDLA or the stereocomplex crystallites formed between PDLA and PLLA, the Mixtures containing PDLA, and the mixture of talc and montmorillonite. No significant effects on the overall PLLA crystallization were observed for talc, C-60, montmorillonite, and the mixtures containing C-60. Such rapid completion of the overall PLLA crystallization upon addition of the aforementioned additives can be ascribed to the increased density (number per unit volume or area) of PLLA spherulites. When the as-cast PLLA films were cooled from the melt, the overall PLLA crystallization completed rapidly, upon addition of PDLA, talc, C-60, montmorillonite, and their mixtures. Such rapid overall PLLA crystallization is attributable to the increased density of the PLLA spherulites and the higher nucleation temperature for PLLA crystallization. In contrast, the addition of various polysaccharides has no significant effect, or only a very small effect, on the overall PLLA crystallization during heating from room temperature or during cooling from the melt. This finding means that the poly-saccharides can be utilized as low-cost fillers for PLLA-based materials, without disturbing the crystallization of the PLLA. The effect of additives in accelerating the overall PLLA crystallization during cooling from the melt, decreased in the following order: PDLA > talc > C-60 > montmorillonite > polysaccharides.