Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
---|---|---|---|---|
7214388 | Composites Science and Technology | 2018 | 22 Pages |
Abstract
Uniaxial solid-state drawing was used to orientate plasticized polylactic acid (PLA) and its nanocomposite tapes with 1 and 5â¯wt% chitin nanocrystals (ChNC). Microscopy studies confirmed the orientation and formation of a 'shish-kebab' morphology in the drawn tapes. The mechanical properties demonstrated that the drawing led to stronger and tougher nanocomposites compared to plasticized PLA. The tensile strength increased from 41â¯MPa to 71â¯MPa, and the elongation at break increased from 5% to 60% for the nanocomposite with 5â¯wt% ChNC and a draw ratio of 3. The ChNC had a positive effect on the thermomechanical properties; the tan delta peak shifted to a higher temperature with an increasing ChNC content. These improvements in the mechanical and thermal properties are expected synergistic effects of both the ChNC in the nanocomposite and the alignment of the ChNC together with the polymer chains induced by the solid-state drawing.
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Authors
Anshu Anjali Singh, Jiayuan Wei, Natalia Herrera, Shiyu Geng, Kristiina Oksman,