Effects of heat-, solvent-, and photo-induced crystallization on crystalline structures and gas transport properties through poly(lactic acid) membrane

Abstract

Poly(lactic acid) (PLA) is an environmentally-friendly biodegradable polymer. It is often used in packages, in automobiles, and for electronics. We can even expected that PLA replaces petroleum-based plastics. PLA crystallization can be controlled by cooling and heating, organic solvents, and vacuum ultraviolet irradiation. This paper focuses on controlling the crystalline structure by thermal-, solvent-, and photo-induced crystallization. The effect of the crystalline structures on PLA membranes on gas transport properties was systematically investigated. Interestingly, unlike common crystalline polymer membranes, the permeability through a crystalline PLA membrane was larger than that thro..