Selective localization of organic montmorillonite in poly(l-lactide)/poly(ethylene vinyl acetate) blends and the resultant properties

A small quantity of organic montmorillonite (OMMT) was introduced into an immiscible poly(l-lactide)/poly(ethylene vinyl acetate) (PLLA/EVA) blend. The selective location state of OMMT, the blend morphologies and the microstructure of the blend composites were systematically investigated. The theoretical calculation based on interfacial tensions and experimental observations showed that OMMT selectively located in the rigid PLLA component. Apparent morphological changes were observed for the blend composites. Rheological measurements showed that OMMT at relatively high content formed the percolated network structure in the blend composites. Tensile measurements showed that OMMT exhibited excellent reinforcement effect for the immiscible PLLA/EVA blends. Furthermore, tensile creep behavior measurements showed that incorporating OMMT into the immiscible PLLA/EVA blends facilitated the apparent enhancement of creep stability. The microstructure-performance relationship of the blend composites was then analyzed.