Effect of vermiculite dispersion in poly(lactic acid) preparation and its biodegradability

In the present work, the research on the preparation, crystallization behavior and biodegradability of poly(lactic acid)-vermiculite nano-composites was carried out. Surfactant modified vermiculite was used accompanied with the poly(lactic acid) to prepare the nano-composites via in situ intercalative polymerization. The purpose was to evaluate the impact of the vermiculite and its different content on the morphology and properties of nano-composites. The crystal structure and morphology of poly(lactic acid) before and after nano-composites preparation were examined by wide-angle X-ray diffraction, polar optical microscopy and differential scanning calorimetry. The as-prepared nano-composites exhibited remarkable improvement of multiple materials properties due to the decrease in crystallinity. The enhanced biodegradability of nanocomposites was also presented along with the increase of vermiculite content.