title: Local demixion in plasticized polylactide probed by electron spin resonance.
abstract: Improving the barrier properties to gas and organic compounds of biosourced polyesters, such as polylactides (PLAs), by increasing their crystallinity has been suggested by several authors. This paper investigates the risk of microphase separation for a technological approach that would involve a plasticization of PLA, to further its crystallization kinetics, with common plasticizers: Acetyl tributyl citrate (ATBC) and Poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG). Overplasticization effects following microphase separation were monitored along the film thickness by exposing dynamically thermo-compressed films to nitroxide spin-probes. The method enabled a scan of the local polymer mobility for different concentration profiles in spin-probes, with in particular a maximum moving continuously in time towards the geometric center. The results were interpreted as excess local temperatures that would give similar ESR spectra motion in the bulk. It was shown that measured excess temperatures could be related to local shifts in the glass transition temperature along the film thickness.
authors.affiliation: INRA, UMR 1145 Food Process Engineering, 1 Avenue des Olympiades, F 91300 Massy, France.
authors.forename: Cécile
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Courgneau
authors.forename: Olivier
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Vitrac
authors.forename: Violette
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Ducruet
authors.forename: Anne-Marie
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Riquet
mesh_terms: D002951:Citrates / Q000737:chemistry; D003460:Crystallization; D004578:Electron Spin Resonance Spectroscopy / Q000379:methods*; D010969:Plastics; D011091:Polyesters / Q000737:chemistry*; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols; D013696:Temperature
chemical_list: D002951:Citrates; D010969:Plastics; D011091:Polyesters; C014953:2-acetyltributylcitrate; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols; C033616:poly(lactide)
keywords: Diffusion; Microphase separation; Spin-probe ESR