ABSTRACT
Poly lactic acid (PLA) is a biocompatible, biodegradable, and thermoplastic polyester synthesized from renewable resources. PLA suffers from high brittleness and low heat deflection temperature (HDT). Improved HDTs are often observed in natural fiber-reinforced PLA composites, often due to increased values of modulus and crystallinity. R. Li demonstrated the preparation of PLA single-polymer composites (SPCs) on the foundation of PLA's gradually crystallizing structure. On the basis of the theory of SPC processing, final temperature is a function of the initial melting temperature of crystalline phase of the reinforcing PLA yarn and temperature-dependent viscosity of the matrix materials. Uniaxial PLA-based self-reinforced composites have been developed by bonding poly (l-lactic acid) (PLLA) fibers by depositing poly (D, l-lactic acid) (PDLLA) which was dissolved in ethyl acetate. The modulus, tensile strength, and elongation, as well as the thermal stability of uniaxial PLA self-reinforced composites, were all significantly greater than those of the PDLLA film.
