Effect of poly(2‐ethyl‐2‐oxazoline) and UV irradiation on the melt rheology and mechanical properties of poly(lactic acid)

ABSTRACT To improve the suitability of poly(lactic acid) (PLA) for implantable devices, it ideally needs greater ductility without losses in strength. Here biodegradable poly(2‐ethyl‐2‐oxazoline) (PEtOx) was selected as an additive to improve hydrophilicity of PLA as well as mechanical properties, while UV irradiation was considered as a bulk modification method to increase the long‐term stability. The PLA blend showed improved tensile strength and elongation‐at‐break with small amounts of PEtOx added (1.5 wt %). Crosslinking by UV irradiation showed significant improvements with a dibutyltin dilaurate catalyst even though it produced a high degree of chain scission during melt processing. After UV irradiation for 150 h, the crosslinked material recovered mechanical properties and melt rheological properties comparable to the initial PLA‐1.5%PEtOx blend (without catalyst added). Crosslinking was only possible with the added PEtOx present. A mechanism for the crosslinking reactions examined has been proposed since it has not been previously reported in the literature. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2019 , 136 , 48023.