Comparison of recently developed toughening strategies for polylactic acid blends

Glycerol-derived organic carbonates: environmentally friendly plasticizers for PLA

“…39,60,61 In contrast, the T cc signal was negligibly observed in neat PLA (Natureworks 2003D), 48,60 even though some literature reports have indicated its presence. 32,34,49,50 As the amount of 1 increased (10, 20, 30, and 40 phr), the T cc signals gradually shied to lower temperatures (103-125, 93-118, 87-120, and 82-111 °C, respectively), while the heat of crystallization remained almost constant (DH, 12-18 J g −1 ). This shi can be attributed to the increased chain mobility at higher plasticizer content or the plasticizer's role as a nucleating agent.…”

“…31 Another challenge is its inherent brittleness. 32 While PLA exhibits high tensile strength (approximately 60 MPa), its strain at break is low (around 5%). To address this issue, blending PLA with low molar mass organic compounds, commonly referred to as plasticizers, has been explored.…”

Design and Synthesis of Polystyrene-Occluded Reactive Core–Shell Particles of Natural Rubber to Balance Stiffness and Toughness in Poly(lactic acid)

“…17,18 Among these methodologies, blending with an elastomeric component is widely recognized as the most effective and economically viable strategy to address the brittleness of PLA. 19 Numerous studies in the literature highlight the enhancement of toughness in PLA through the addition of suitable impact modifiers, resulting in a spectrum of toughness levels from tough to supertough behaviors under mechanical testing. This improvement is contingent upon the establishment of a robust interaction at the interface of the PLA matrix phase and dispersed modifiers.…”

“…These characteristics render PLA suitable for a diverse array of applications. , Nevertheless, inherent drawbacks such as brittleness, low crystallinity, and unfavorable thermal resistance impose significant constraints on the widespread applicability of PLA. , Over the past two decades, a multitude of research endeavors have been undertaken, mainly focusing on enhancing the toughness of PLA. Researchers have extensively employed approaches such as copolymerization, , plasticization, , blending, − incorporation of various fillers, , and alteration of polymer chain orientation. , Among these methodologies, blending with an elastomeric component is widely recognized as the most effective and economically viable strategy to address the brittleness of PLA. − …”

Effect of Graphene Oxide Localization on Morphology Development and Rheological and Mechanical Properties of Poly(lactic acid)/ethylene vinyl Alcohol Copolymer Blend Composites: A Comprehensive Study

“…Polylactide (PLA) is an aliphatic and thermoplastic polyester that has gained significant attention due to its compostability, renewability, transparency, and mechanical properties, as reported in several studies [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]. However, the material’s inherent brittleness at room temperature, low elongation at break, insufficient thermal stability, and weak barrier properties limit its applications [ 4 ]. Various methods have been proposed to address these issues, such as copolymerization strategies, plasticization with a miscible component, blending with an immiscible homopolymer, and/or block copolymerization [ 5 , 6 , 7 ].…”