Viscoelastic, interfacial properties, and morphological data were employed to predict the thermal and mechanical properties of compatibilized poly(lactic acid) (PLA)/thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) blends. The combination of interfacial thickness measured by contact angle and entanglement density determined by dynamical mechanical analysis analyze data was employed to evaluate the mechanical behavior of PLA/TPU blends with and without ethylene-butyl acrylate-glycidyl methacrylate (EBG) compatibilization agent. The PLA/TPU blend (70/30 wt %) was prepared in a Haake internal mixer at 190 C and compatibilized with different contents of EBG. The evaluation of the interfacial properties revealed an increase in the interfacial layer thickness of the PLA/TPU blend with EBG. The scanning electronic microscopy images showed a drastic reduction in the size of the dispersed phase by increasing the compatibilizer agent EBG content in the blend. The compatibilization of the PLA/TPU blends improved both the Izod impact strength and yield stress by 38 and 33%, respectively, in comparison with neat PLA/TPU blend. The addition of EBG into PLA/TPU blends significantly increased the entanglement density and the PLA toughening but resulted in a decrease of PLA deformation at break. The PLA and TPU glass transitions were affected by the EBG, suggesting that the PLA and TPU domains were partially miscible.

Rheological and interfacial tension data were employed to predict the morphology and thermal and mechanical properties of noncompatibilized and compatibilized poly(lactic acid) (PLA)/thermoplastic elastomer (TPE) blends. PLA was melt blended with thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) and ethylene elastomer (EE) and compatibilized by ethylene-butyl acrylate-glycidyl methacrylate (EBG) in an internal mixer chamber. Both TPU and EE TPEs have higher viscosities than PLA, and the interfacial properties evaluated have revealed better adhesion between domains of PLA-TPU. The efficiency of the compatibilizer agent EBG depended on the TPE type inferred by modifications in the scanning electron microscopy images of PLA/TPE blends and by the Izod impact strength (improved by 23%). The EBG was more effective in the PLA/TPU blend. The TPEs and EBG did not affect the PLA thermal stability, and no thermal event was observed in the usual PLA extrusion and injection temperature range.

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