Preparation of PLA/PBAT blends with high performance via the synergistic effect of high mold temperature and strong shear field

As a bio-based polymer with excellent mechanical properties, good biodegradability and biocompatibility, polylactic acid (PLA) displays considerable potential to replace traditional petrochemical-based polymers for application. However, poor toughness and heat resistance restrict its wide application. In this work, PLA based PLA/PBAT blends with excellent comprehensive performance were prepared through the synergistic effect of high mold temperature as well as strong shear field. SEM, DSC and WAXD were conducted to characterize the crystal and micro-morphology of the samples. The results show that highly oriented shish-kebab and hybrid shish-kebab structures are observed in VIM-H sample. The crystallinity increases dramatically, which can reach 48%. Besides, the toughness, strength and heat resistance of VIM-H all markedly improve. The Vicat softening temperature (VST) reaches up to 149.2 °C, while the tensile strength and impact strength increase to 89.07 MPa and 10.36 kJ/m2, respectively. This study proves the synergistic enhancement of the properties for PLA/PBAT blends by high mold temperature as well as strong shear field, which provides a new method to obtain high-performance PLA materials and is beneficial for the wider application of PLA products.