Studies on Rheological, Thermal, and Mechanical Properties of Polylactide/Methyl Methacrylate-Butadiene-Styrene Copolymer/Poly(propylene carbonate) Polyurethane Ternary Blends

Polylactide (PLA), methyl methacrylate-butadiene-styrene copolymer (MBS), and poly(propylene carbonate) polyurethane (PPCU) were blended and subjected to blown film process. The rheological, mechanical, morphological, thermal, and crystalline properties of the PLA/MBS/PPCU ternary blends and the mechanical properties of the resulting films were studied. Results of mechanical test showed that PPCU and MBS could synergistically toughen PLA. The impact strength of 50/10/40 PLA/MBS/PPCU blend (74.7 kJ/m2) was about 7.5 times higher than that of the neat PLA (10.8 kJ/m2), and the elongation at break of 50/10/40 PLA/MBS/PPCU blend (276.5%) was higher by about 45 times that of PLA (6.2%). The tear strength of PLA/MBS/PPCU films was 20 kN/m higher than that of PLA, and the elongation at break (MD/TD) of 50/10/40 PLA/MBS/PPCU films was 271.1%/222.3%, whereas that of PLA was only 2.7%/3.0%. POM observations displayed that the density of spherulite nucleation increased and the size of crystalline particles decreased with the addition of MBS. With increasing PPCU content from 5% to 20%, the density of spherulite nucleation increased and the size of crystalline particles decreased continuously, but the nucleation density of spherulites was slightly lowered with increasing PPCU content from 30% to 40%. The PLA/MBS/PPCU films exhibited excellent mechanical properties, which expanded the application range of these biodegradable films.