Investigation of a novel poly (lactic acid) porous material toughened by thermoplastic polyurethane

Poly (lactic acid)/thermoplastic polyurethane (PLA/TPU) ductile fibrous porous material was obtained by electrospinning, which has better mechanical properties than pure PLA fibrous material. The effects of TPU on the morphology, hydrophobicity, thermal and mechanical properties of the porous fibrous material were studied. After adding TPU, the fiber diameter increased significantly. The static water contact angle of electrospinning fiber decreased as TPU increased. The addition of TPU reduced the crystallinity of the material, but the crystallinity built up over the rise of TPU. TPU substantially improved the toughness of the material, and the PLA/TPU strain energy can be enhanced by nearly 17 times. When the PLA/TPU mass ratio was 10, the maximum tensile strength could reach 9.2 MPa, and if the mass ratio is 20, it holds the highest elongation at break of 153.1%. The preparation of electrospun PLA ductile porous material would be a reliable foundation for broadening the application range of PLA fibrous material. Graphical abstract