Gamma radiation effect on structural properties of PLLA/PCL blends

Poly(L-lactic acid) (PLLA) and poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL) extruded homopolymers and PLLA/PCL blends films were irradiated with gamma rays from Co-60 at doses in the range of 25–500 kGy to investigate the effect of the ionizing radiation on the morphological properties of the samples. The morphology of the homopolymers and the blends were observed by scanning electron microscope (SEM). The micrographs of the fractured homopolymers and blends have shown immiscibility of the blends. The crystallization of PLLA can be observed in the annealed samples. Samples irradiated with 100 kGy presented few variations in the morphology. But in PCL homopolymer and PCL/PLLA 50/50 wt% blend irradiated with 500 kGy dose it was possible to observe significant alteration. The ruptured sample surface of irradiated PCL with 500 kGy became full of scales probably due to an increase of crosslinking density induced by the ionizing radiation, but apparently no changes promoted by ionizing radiation could be observed on the irradiated PLLA by SEM.