• 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.

• 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.

• Journal of Korea Technical Association of The Pulp and Paper Industry
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• v.36 no.5 s.108
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• pp.53-61
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• 2004

[ $Poly(_{D}-ldactide)\;(_{D}-PLA)$ ] was synthesized to have low molecular weight for miscible blends with a high molecular $poly(_{L}-lactide)\;(_{L} -PLA)$. The blends were prepared by dissolving the two components of $_{L}-PLA\;and\;_{D}-PLA\;(w/w)$ in chloroform (l00/0, 90/10, 70/30, 50/50, 30/70, 0/100). The miscibility of these miscible blends was characterized by gel-permeation chromatography (GPC), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and the selective degradability by enzymes (proteinase K, subtilisin and $\alpha$-chymotrypsin). The coating efficiency of PLA blends onto paper was determined and the degrading activity cellulases by on these blends. The miscibility, coating efficiency and enzymatic degradability of these blends were decreased according to increasing of $_{D}-PLA$ blending part. Such results were attributed to the extent of coating application of PLA, with better miscibility (compatibility), coating efficiency and degradability due to a higher $_{L}-PLA$ content.

• Journal of Pharmaceutical Investigation
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• v.40 no.4
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• pp.251-254
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• 2010

The formation of acylated peptide impurities in poly(lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA) formulations is one of the major challenges to the development of successful sustained-release product. Octreotide, synthetic analogue of somatostatin, has been identified to be acylated in PLGA microsphere formulations. The purpose of this study was to investigate the pH effect on the formation of acylated octreotides by PLGA. In the incubation with PLGA in 0.1 M phosphate buffer at pH 7.4, approximately 98% of octreotide adsorbed to PLGA through 14 days and 66.3% of acylated octreotides were produced after 42 days, whereas the interaction of octreotide with PLGA was significantly inhibited in the incubation at pH 4, in which the acylated octreotides were observed to be 9.2% after 42 days. In the interaction study at pH 4.1-7.4, the production of acylated octreotides was demonstrated to be dependent on environmental pH. Below pH 5.0, the acylation of octreotide was significantly inhibited. This study indicates that the pH is the major factor for the formation of acylated octreotide in PLGA formulations.

• Food Science and Biotechnology
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• v.18 no.5
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• pp.1155-1160
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• 2009

Poly(lactide) (PLA)-coated paperboards were prepared by solution coating and thermo-compression coating methods and their effect of coating on the packaging properties such as tensile, water resistance, water vapor barrier, and heat sealing properties was tested. Compared with uncoated control paperboard, tensile strength (TS) of PLA-coated paperboard increased profoundly (2.2-2.6 folds) with slight increase in elongation at break (E). Water absorptiveness (WA) of the paperboard decreased 74-170 folds and water vapor permeability (WVP) decreased 6.3-22.1 folds by coating with PLA, which indicates an increase in the hydrophobicity of the surface of paperboard. Compared with polyethylene (PE)-coated paperboard, both PLA-coated paperboard exhibited 2.3 time higher heat sealing strength. In addition, the PLA-coated paperboards showed equal or higher wet TS than PE-coated paperboard. All the test results showed that the paperboard coated by the thermo-compression coating method was similar to or better than those of coated by the solution coating method.

• 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.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.

• Polymer(Korea)
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• v.32 no.4
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• pp.390-396
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• 2008

The hyaluronic acid (HA) polymers cross-linked with lactide (LA) using the crosslinking agent, 1,3-butadiene diepoxide (BD), were prepared in order to develop a biomedical material for tissue engineering. The degree of lactide and BD reaction of the crosslinked polymer was determined by the analysis of nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Both degree of reaction and swelling ratio increased with BD concentration or LA/HA mole ratio. Tensile modulus decreased with increasing BD concentration or decreasing LA/HA mole ratio. Degradation was shown to be progressed at two different stages and became slow with increasing BD concentration. It was shown that the first stage degradation was mainly due to the decomposition of ester linkage in the crosslinked structure. The cell growth inhibition increased with BD concentration. Although cytotoxicity was slightly observed in the high BD concentration, the value was very low (below 6%) enough not to affect the cell growth.