Preparation of Polylactide Fibers Consisting of Highly Oriented Stereocomplex Crystals

摘要

From the view point of environmental concern, attention for the bio-based polymers revitalized these days. Various aliphatic polyesters such as poly(L-lactides) (PLLA), poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) (P3HB) and its copolymers such as poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co~(-3)-hydroxyhexanoate) (P3HB-co~(-3)HH) and poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co~(-3)-hydroxyvalerate) (P3HB-co~(-3)HV) etc. are being applied for various end-uses. One of the drawbacks of aliphatic polyesters is their low melting temperatures. While most of aliphatic polyesters exhibit the melting temperature (Tm) below 200°C, it is well known that the Tm of polylactides can be increased to around 220-230°C through the crystallization of the blend of poly(L-lactide) and poly(D-lactide) (PDLA) to form stereocomplex (SC) crystals. However, melt blending of PLLA and PDLA is not easy because the melting temperature of the SC crystals is close to the thermal degradation temperature of Polylactides. In this research, a novel attempt was made for the preparation of PLA fibers consisting of highly oriented stereocomplex crystals.