Abstract:
Lactic acid oligomer was prepared by direct condensation method and used as modifier of nano-calcium carbonate (CaCO
3) to developed modified nano-calcium carbonate (g-CaCO
3). g-CaCO
3 was blended with polylactic acid (PLA) by solution blending to prepare g-CaCO
3/PLA composites. The g-CaCO
3 was characterized by FTIR and oil absorption value etc. SEM, DSC, universal testing machine, rheometer, water vapor transmission tester and UV-Vis-AIR spectrophotometer were used to study the g-CaCO
3 on the structure and performances of the PLA. The results show that the modification of lactic acid oligomer reduces the absorption value of CaCO
3, promotes compatibility between CaCO
3 and PLA and improves the dispersion of CaCO
3 in PLA matrix. At the same time, the g-CaCO
3 acts as nucleating agent in PLA matrix, improving the crystallization ability of the PLA. The tensile strength and strain at break of the g-CaCO
3/PLA composites first rise and then fall as the g-CaCO
3 content increasing. When the g-CaCO
3 content is 5wt%, the tensile strength is 50% higher than that of 5%CaCO
3/PLA composite. When the addition amount of g-CaCO
3 reaches 10wt%, the tensile strength is still 13% higher than that of pure PLA. The storage modulus and complex viscosity of the composites are improved by adding g-CaCO
3. In addition, the addition of g-CaCO
3 enhances the barrier property of PLA to ultraviolet visible light and water vapor.