Preparation of flexible PLA/PEG-POSS nanocomposites by melt blending and radiation crosslinking

• PLA/PEG-POSS nanocomposites were prepared by melt blending.
• The nanocomposites containing TAIC were crosslinked by electron beam irradiation.
• The mechanical properties of the nanocomposites were comparable to polypropylene.
• The crosslinked nanocomposites can be biodegradable.

In this study, poly(lactic acid) (PLA)/poly(ethylene glycol)-functionalized polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (PEG-POSS) nanocomposites with or without triallyl isocyanurate (TAIC) were investigated by melt blending and electron beam irradiation to enhance the flexibility of PLA. Based on the results of the crosslinking degree measurements, the PLA/PEG-POSS nanocomposites were crosslinked by electron beam irradiation in the presence of triallyl isocyanurate (TAIC) and their crosslinking degree reached up to 80% based on the absorbed dose and their compositions. From the results of the FE-SEM and EDX Si-mapping, the crosslinked PLA/PEG-POSS nanocomposites were homogenous without a micro-phase separation or radiation-induced morphological change. Based on the results of the tensile test, the PLA/PEG-POSS nanocomposites containing 15 wt% PEG-POSS exhibited the highest flexibility, and their tensile strength showed a maximum value of 44.5 MPa after electron beam irradiation at an absorbed dose of 100 kGy in the presence of TAIC, which is comparable to non-biodegradable polypropylene. The results of the dynamic mechanical analysis revealed that the crosslinked PLA/PEG-POSS nanocomposites exhibited a higher thermal resistance above their melting temperature in comparison to that of the neat PLA, although their glass transition temperature was lower than that of the neat PLA. The enzymatic biodegradation test revealed that the PLA/PEG-POSS nanocomposites were biodegradable even though their biodegradability was deteriorated in comparison to that of the neat PLA.