Abstract
Biodegradable ABA triblock copolymers of l-lactide and trimethylene carbonate with given compositions were prepared and chain-extended to produce high molecular weight polymer. The polymers were semicrystalline, and exhibited well microphase-segregated morphology with one crystalline poly(l-lactide) (PLLA) and the other soft and amorphous poly(trimethylene carbonate) (PTMC) block segments. The polymers could be cast into flexible and tough film, reversibly stretchable with elongation up to about 300%. This material may provide a novel thermoplastic elastomer possessing desirable properties including biodegradability, biocompatibility and good mechanical properties including two-phase morphology. Also a preliminary result on the hydrolytic degradation behavior was discussed.
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Kim, JH., Lee, J. Preparation and Properties of Poly(l-lactide)-block-poly(trimethylenecarbonate) as Biodegradable Thermoplastic Elastomer. Polym J 34, 203–208 (2002). https://doi.org/10.1295/polymj.34.203
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1295/polymj.34.203
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