Foaming behavior of microcellular poly(lactic acid)/TPU composites in supercritical CO2

Abstract

This article presents the effects of thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) on the crystallization and melt strength of poly(lactic acid) (PLA) and on the enhancement of cell nucleation and expansion ratio to manufacture microcellular thermoplastic PLA foams in supercritical carbon dioxide. Addition of TPU increased the crystallinity and decreased the crystallite size as observed by differential scanning calorimetry and polarized optical microscope. The formed crystal domains worked as cross-linking points to increase the melt strength of a polymer that potentially affected the cell growth. Scanning electron microscope confirmed the immiscibility between PLA and TPU, and TPU was dispersed as islands in the PLA matrix. This phase morphology further influenced the cell structure of the PLA/TPU foams. TPU acted as a nucleating agent to enhance heterogeneous cell nucleation that is caused by the decrease in free energy barrier. Tensile stress that generated around the TPU and in some local regions surrounding the crystals and crystallization was dominant to induce cell nucleation.