Toughness and rheological characteristics of poly(lactic acid)/acrylic core–shell rubber blends

This paper reports effects of acrylic core–shell rubber (CSR) on mechanical and rheological properties of poly(lactic acid) (PLA)/CSR blends. The CSR was synthesized via a seeded emulsion polymerization with poly(butyl acrylate) and poly(methyl methacrylate) as core and shell, respectively, and then introduced to PLA using a twin-screw extruder. Toughness of the blends characterized was increased by shear yielding due to micro-voiding formed by de-bonding of CSR. Their shear viscosity, storage, and loss modulus measured using rotational rheometer increased with CSR content. An analysis using Cox–Merz law confirmed that two curves coincided well with each other, while exhibiting shear-thinning behavior.