Thermomechanical properties of highly transparent self-reinforced polylactide composites with electrospun stereocomplex polylactide nanofibers

Stereocomplex polylactide (sc-PLA) nanofibers with the average diameter of 367 nm were prepared by the conductivity-controlled electrospinning using 7 wt% PLA solution in the mixed solvents of dichloromethane and pyridine. The sc-PLA nanofibers were used as reinforcement materials for poly(L-lactide) (PLLA) to fabricate a self-reinforced PLA composite, while the fibers were compounded into the PLLA by compression molding. Thermomechanical and optical properties of the resulting self-reinforced PLA composites were investigated. It was found that highly transparent (above 75%) self-reinforced PLA composites were obtained up to the sc-PLA fiber concentration of 15 wt%. Also, at higher temperature in the rubbery state, the storage moduli of the composites increased by adding sc-PLA nanofibers. At the fiber concentration of 15 wt%, the storage modulus of the composite became 70 MPa, which was 24.1 times higher than that of the original pure PLLA. It was therefore concluded that the self-reinforced PLA composite with high transparency and high thermomechanical properties was successfully obtained.