Structural characteristics and thermal properties of plasticized poly(l-lactide)-silica nanocomposites synthesized by sol–gel method

Plasticized poly(l-lactide)-silica nanocomposite materials have been successfully synthesized by sol–gel process. The resultant nanocomposites were characterized by infrared spectra (IR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), thermogravimetry (TG), Tensile testing and scanning electron microscope (SEM). IR measurements show that vibration of C–O–C group is confined by silica network. Also the crystallization of poly(l-lactide) is partly confined by silica network. The presence of even small amount of silica largely improves the tensile strength of the samples. TGA results reveal that the thermal stability of samples is improved with silica loading.