Open Access

ARTICLE

Crystallization of Poly(L-lactide) in a Confined Space between Polycarbonate Layers

RI-CHAO ZHANG^a,*, ZHIHUAN HUANG^a, DAN SUN^b, AI LU^c, MEILING ZHONG^a, ZHENXING FANG^a, DEHUI JI^a, GUANGYAO XIONG^a, YIZAO WAN^a

a School of Materials Science and Engineering, East China Jiaotong University, Nanchang 330013, China
b School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Queen’s University Belfast, UK BT9 5AH
c Institute of Chemical Materials, China Academy of Engineering Physics, Mianyang, 621900 Sichuan, China

* Corresponding Author: e-mail: , (Ri-Chao Zhang)

Journal of Polymer Materials 2018, 35(2), 171-179.

Abstract

In this paper, various thicknesses of PLLA film between PC layers are obtained by spin coating of different amount of solution. The crystal morphologies and isothermal crystallization rates of poly(L-lactide) (PLLA) in the confined spaces between polycarbonate (PC) layers have been studied by polarized optical microscopy. The Crystal morphologies of poly(L-lactide) are little influenced by the thickness of PLLA films between PC layers. Nevertheless, the crystal growth and nucleation rates of PLLA films between PC layers are remarkably affected by the thickness of PLLA films. In the confined space, the nucleation and growth rates of PLLA films decrease as its thickness decreases. The observed phenomena has been ascribed to the reduction of molecular chain mobility, and the slow diffusion process of molecular chains. The results offer greater insights into the materials process-structure-property relationship, and help with design of future biomaterials with tailored/controlled structures/properties (such as crystallinity/ degradation rate) for specific biomedical applications.

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