Effect of cyanuric acid on the crystallization kinetics and morphology of biodegradable poly(l-lactide) as an efficient nucleating agent

•The nonisothermal melt crystallization behavior of PLLA was enhanced by CA.•The overall isothermal melt crystallization rates of PLLA were increased by CA.•CA acted as efficient nucleating agent for the crystallization of PLLA.•CA did not modify the crystal structure of PLLA in composites.

Biodegradable poly(l-lactide) (PLLA) and cyanuric acid (CA) composites were prepared via a solution and casting method at low CA loadings. The nonisothermal melt crystallization behavior, overall isothermal melt crystallization kinetics, spherulitic morphology, and crystal structure of neat PLLA and the PLLA/CA composites were investigated with various techniques. Relative to neat PLLA, the crystallization process of PLLA was accelerated obviously by the presence of CA under both nonisothermal and isothermal melt crystallization conditions, indicating that CA acted as an efficient nucleating agent for the crystallization of PLLA; however, CA did not change the crystallization mechanism and crystal structure of PLLA in the composites.