A 1H-Benzotriazole Derivative Nucleated Poly(L-lactic acid): Thermal Behavior and Physical Properties

In this study, a 1H-benzotriazole derivative, N, N'-bis(1H-benzotriazole) succinic acid acethydrazide (SABHA), was synthesized to nucleate Poly(L-lactic acid) (PLLA). A series of comparative studies on the melt-crystallization, the cold-crystallization, the melting behavior, the thermal stability, as well as the fluidity between the pure PLLA and PLLA/SABHA were performed. The melt-crystallization behavior revealed that the SABHA as a heterogeneous nucleating agent could significantly facilitate the crystallization of PLLA, and a larger amount of SABHA concentration exhibited the better nucleation effect. However, for the cold-crystallization process, the crystallization peak shifted toward the lower temperature with increasing of SABHA concentration. The melting behavior after crystallization at different crystallization temperatures showed that the melting process of PLLA/SABHA samples depended on the crystallization temperature, and the appearance of the double melting peaks was attributed to the melt-recrystallization. The thermal decomposition profile of PLLA was not affected by SABHA, but the addition of SABHA reduced the thermal stability of PLLA. Fortunately, the presence of SABHA improved the fluidity of PLLA, and the effect of SABHA concentration on the fluidity was positive.

Li-Sha Zhao and Yan-Hua Cai