High-performance polylactide and its composites

Because of environmental problems, the development of biodegradable polymers has been an area of current research interest. Polylactide as green and eco-friendly polymer still requires improvement of its thermal and mechanical properties for wider and specific applications. Stereocomplex polylac-tide and nanocomposites are the possible options to improve polylactide properties. This chapter reports the development of high-performance polylactide through stereocomplex and nanocomposite approaches. Stereocomplex polylactide has been developed through a conventional method (solution and melt process), and also by supercritical fluid methods. Properties improve ment by stereocomplex crystalline remains another limitation in the melt stability. This limitation can be solved by addition of flexible fragment in the polylac-tide chains and star-shaped structures. Nanocomposite is another approach in polylactide properties enhance ment by addition of various nanoparticles. Miscibility of the nanoparticles with polylactide chains is the impor tant factor for nanocomposite that can be improved by surface modification and grafting of nanoparticles. Nanocomposite can also be proceeded through solu tion, melt and supercritical processes. The stereocom plex and nanocomposite approaches can be combined for improving polylactide properties. This approach is named as stereocomplex-nanocomposite polylactide.