Quiescent and shear-induced non-isothermal crystallization kinetics of PLA/HNT nanocomposites

This study explores the impact of different levels of halloysite nanotubes (HNT) and d-isomer on the non-isothermal crystallization behavior of the polylactic acid (PLA). The processing conditions, thermal flow, molecular orientation and the presence of nanofillers can affect the crystallinity and properties of PLA. In this work, PLA-based nanocomposite filaments were produced and their crystallization kinetics was studied. The data obtained through experiments, using differential scanning calorimetry at various cooling rates, were analyzed employing the Jeziorny and Mo models. And the activation energy of crystallization was determined by the Friedman method. The results showed that the growth of PLA crystals is three-dimensional, the HNT can accelerate the crystallization process, and crystallization occurs at higher temperatures in the presence of flow. The activation energy increased with addiction of more HNT in the nanocomposite. The study also found that the d-isomer has a more significant influence on the crystallization of PLA than HNT, which can inhibit crystal formation in some cases. These findings provide insights into the factors that can influence the properties of PLA nanocomposites and how they can be optimized.