Toughening of Poly(lactic acid) (PLA) through blending with Ethylene-co-Vinyl Acetate (EVA) Copolymer

The widespread use of traditional petroleum based plastic and rubber has received considerable attention in recent years due to their environmental pollution. To solve this problem, the development of new biodegradable polymer materials has been proposed to replace petroleum-based plastics and rubbers. Poly(lactic acid) (PLA) is one of the most well-known biodegradable polymers that has advantages such as such as high strength and stiffness, being bio-based and excellent transparency. However, the inherent brittleness of PLA, is a major problem that has limited its widespread use in applications requiring plastic deformation at high stress levels. One of the most effective methods to overcome this problem is blending of PLA with tough polymers. Ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) copolymer is a tough elastomeric polymer that used to modify ductility and improve the impact strength of thermoplastics. In this paper, the toughening of PLA by blending with EVA is investigated. The use of dynamic vulcanization of EVA phase method and the addition of nanoparticles to improve the compatibility at the interface of the two polymers as well as to increase the impact strength and toughness have been reviewed.