• Fibers and Polymers
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• v.5 no.4
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• pp.289-296
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• 2004

The kinetic parameters, including the activation energy E, the reaction order n, and the pre-exponential factor Z, of the degradation of the copolymers based on the poly(L-lactide) (PLLA) or poly(p-dioxanone-co-L-lactide) (PDO/PLLA) and diol-terminated poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) segments have been evaluated by the single heating methods of Friedman and Freeman-Carroll. The experimental results showed that copolymers exhibited two degradation steps under nitrogen that can be ascribed to PLLA or PDO/PLLA and PEG segments, respectively. However, copolymers exhibited almost single degradation step in air. Although the values of initial decomposition temperature were scattered, copolymers showed the lower maximum weight loss rate and degradation-activation energy in air than in nitrogen whereas the higher value of temperature at the maximum rate of weight loss was observed in air.

• Design & Manufacturing
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.28-33
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• 2023

The conventional FRP (Fiber Reinforced Plastic) manufacturing process used thermoset resins for ease of molding but faced the issue of non-recyclability. To address these shortcomings, a new process utilizing thermal plastic resin was developed. However, due to the high viscosity of thermal plastic resin, problems such as fiber deformation and a reduced fiber volume fraction occurred during the high-temperature, high-pressure process. In this study, to overcome the limitations of the conventional process, fiber-reinforced composite materials were manufactured through in-situ polymerization using PLA (Poly L-Lactide) resin in the VA-RTM (Vacuum Assistance Resin Transfer Molding) process. The fiber volume of the produced specimens was calculated, and resin impregnation and porosity were confirmed through optical microscopy. Additionally, molecular weight analysis using GPC (Gel Permission Chromatography) demonstrated improvements over the conventional process and emphasized the essential requirement of temperature control.

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
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• v.7 no.3
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• pp.481-489
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• 1996

D,L-lactide (2-LA) was copolymerized with ${\beta}$-methyl-${\delta}$-valerolactone (MVL) using tetraphenyltin as a catalyst and the properties of the copolymers were investigated. The composition of the repeating unit of lactic acid in the copolymers was higher than that in the monomer feeds. The composition of the lactic acid unit in the copolymers decreased with increasing copolymerization time. The yield and the molecular weight of the copolymer increased with increasing 2-LA in the feed composition. These results suggest that the reactivity of 2-LA is larger than that of MVL. The number average molecular weight was in the range of 54,000 to 63,000 and the polydispersity index was in the range of 1.7 to 2.1. The copolymers did not show melting point, but glass transition temperature. The degradable tendency of the copolymers with lipase was almost equal to that of L-lactide-MVL copolymer.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.312-317
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• 1993

To confirm a new evaluation tedhnique for biodegradability of biopolymer microsphers in vivo condition, magnetic microsphere sytem was adopted for tracing the microspheres injected and lodged in micr. Microsphers of poly(DL-lactic acid), poly(L-alctic acid) and poly(DL-lactide-coglycolide)(PLGA) were prepared by solvent-extraction method and their organ distribution and biodegradation in mice was examined. Magnetic microspheres lodged in mice organs were recollected from the homogenates of mice organs with a constant flow magnetic separation apparatus. Recollected microspheres were observed by scanning electron microscopy and also were assayed for their magnetite ocntent by atomic absorption spectrophotometry to evaluate the biodegradability of polymeric microspheres. This method seems to be practical and simple to estimate the biodegradability of biopolymers over the conventional methods.

• Fibers and Polymers
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• v.5 no.4
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• pp.270-274
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• 2004

Blends of poly(l-lactide) (PLA) and low density polyethylene (LDPE) were prepared by melt mixing in order to improve the brittleness of PLA. A reactive compatibilizer with glycidyl methacrylate (GMA), PE-GMA, was required as a compatibilizer due to the immiscibility between PLA and LDPE. It contributes to reduce the domain size of dispersed phase and enhance the tensile properties of PLA/LDPE blends, especially for PLA matrix blends. A reaction product between PLA and PE-GMA, which was formed during melt-mixing and considered to act as a reactive compatibilizer, was characterized using $ ^1H-NMR$ spectroscopy.

• Polymer(Korea)
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.300-306
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• 2002

To study the effect of polymer compositions on the cell adhesion, copolymers of 3-(S)-[(dodecyloxycarbonyl) methyl]-1,4-dioxane-2,5-dione (DMD) and L-lactide were made, where DMD was synthesized form L-malic acid (L-MA) and glycolic acid. Furthermore, the copolymerization of DMD and L-lactide was performed using tin(II) octanoate as a catalyst. As a result of fixing RGD on the copolymer films, the cell adhesive peptide was fixable on the surface of the film. It was found out that the amount of fixation of RGD also increases by the increase in the amount of MA unit introduction. Since it is gradually decomposed over a long period and neither remains nor accumulation occurs, glycolic acid-$\beta$-dodecylmalate -lactic acid (D-PGML) is greatly expected as a potential biomaterial with improved slow degradability.

• Polymer(Korea)
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• v.35 no.4
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• pp.284-288
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• 2011

For the purpose of the pre-industry production of poly(L-lactide) (PLLA) and full understanding of the supercritical polymerization system, large scale polymerization of L-iactide initiated by 1-dodecano/stannous 2-ethyl-hexanoate (DoOH/Sn(Oct)$_2$) was carried out in supercritical chlorodifluoromethane under various reaction conditions (time, temperature and pressure)and reactants (monomer and supercritical solvent) concentrations. A 3 L sized-reactor system was used throughout this study. The monomer conversion increased to 72% on increasing reaction time to 5 h. The molecular weight of PLLA product also increased to 68000 g/moi over the same period. An increase in monomer concentration resulted in a higher molecular weight, up to 144000 g/mol and 97% of monomer conversion. Raising the reaction pressure from 130 to 240 bar also resulted in an increased monomer conversion and molecular weight. To increase heat resistivity of PLLA, methanol treatment and heat-vacuum methods were evaluated. Both of them successfully improved the heat resistivity property of PLLA.

• Polymer(Korea)
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• v.36 no.1
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• pp.53-58
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• 2012

The differences between single and mixed aluminium catalyst systems in the bulk polymerization of L-lactide were studied. $Al(O-i-Pr)_3$, TMA, TOA and TIBA were employed for the mixed-catalyst systems, and TIBA was chosen as a reference catalyst. For the $Al(O-i-Pr)_3$/TIBA catalyst system, the conversion of polymerization increased as the composition of $Al(O-i-Pr)_3$ in the mixed catalyst increased. The molecular weight of the resulting PLA reached to about 13000 g/mol, and the polydispersity index of the polymer from the $Al(O-i-Pr)_3$/TIBA catalyst was slightly increased than that of single catalyst. The higher molecular weight tail or shoulder was revealed in the GPC curve. The conversion of the TOA/TIBA catalyst system decreased as the composition of TOA in the mixed catalyst increased. The molecular weight of PLA prepared with TOA/TIBA catalysts increased up to 14000 g/mol. The Al compounds-mixed catalysts could produce a higher molecular weight tail or shoulder in the GPC curve, which may result in enhancement of mechanical properties of PLA.

• Journal of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.42 no.1
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• pp.92-98
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• 1998

Poly(DL-lactide-co-glycolide) (80:20) was synthesized from DL-lactide and glycolide, and the copolymers was made to micelles containing clonazepam for drug delivery system. The release experiments of the drug from micelles were operated at pH 7.4 phosphate buffer solution $37.0{\pm}0.05^{\circ}C$. The linearly-releasing time ranges of the drug from micelles prepared with the copolymer/drug weight ratio of 20:40, 20:20, and 40:20 (mg) were 50, 41, and 29 days, respectively. So the linearly-releasing time of drug showed the order of micelles 20/40 > micelles 20/20 > micelles 40/20. In short, the formulation allows polymeric micelles to suppress the burst effect of the drug release mechanism, which led to the controlled release pattern and the possibility of drug delivery system for veinous injection.

• Polymer(Korea)
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• v.33 no.1
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• pp.13-18
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• 2009

To increase mechanical properties of the hydroxyapatite/poly (L-lactide) (HA/PLLA) composite which was a potential bone substitute material, HA was modified by the surface grafting with D-lactide (DLA) and the formation of stereocomplexes between components was introduced. The composite films were prepared by the solvent-nonsolvent technique to minimize the precipitation of HA during drying. The structure and properties of the composites were investigated by thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA), differential scanning calorimeter, and scanning electron microscopy, and mechanical property measurements. TGA results showed that the amount of DLA grafted on the HA surfaces (g-HA) was 6 wt%. The obtained g-HA exhibited better dispersity in an organic solvent than HA. The formation of stereocomplexes in the composites was confirmed by the change in melting temperature. The mechanical properties of g-HA/PLLA composites were increased, compared to the HA/PLLA composites.