Improved impact properties in poly(lactic acid) (PLA) blends containing cellulose acetate (CA) prepared by reactive extrusion

Poly(lactic acid)/triacetine plasticized cellulose acetate (PLA/pCA) blends were prepared by extrusion at two different temperatures and tetrabutylammonium tetraphenyl borate (TBATPB) was added as a transesterification catalyst to reactively promote the formation of PLA-CA copolymer during the reactive extrusion. The occurrence of chain scission in the PLA phase and branching/crosslinking in the CA phase in the presence of TBATPB, resulting also in a darkening of the material, were demonstrated by studying torque measurements and by performing proper thermogravimetric tests on CA with the different additives. Tensile and impact tests onto the blends prepared at the lower temperature showed better properties than the ones obtained at a higher temperature. Then, the mechanical properties of PLA/plasticized cellulose acetate (pCA) blends prepared at the lower temperature were investigated as a function of the content of plasticized CA in the blend. A range of compositions was observed where blends exhibited improved impact properties with respect to pure PLA without a significant decrease in their elastic modulus. The study of the phase morphology of the blends revealed that the occurrence of reactive compatibilization did not significantly affect the phase distribution. In general, fibrillar CA particles were formed in the PLA matrix during extrusion, thus allowing the preparation of CA fibre reinforced composites. The trend of morphology as a function of the composition and processing conditions was then discussed by considering the evolution of phase morphology in immiscible polymer blends.