Assessment of poly(lactic acid) crystallization behavior in the presence of a plasticizer and nanoparticles Mehrnoush Monshizadeh1, Hossein Ali Khonakdar2*, Javad Seyfi3 1 Chemical Engineering Department, Central Tehran Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran 2 Leibniz-Institut für Polymerforschung Dresden e.V., Hohe Strasse 6, D-01069 Dresden, Germany 3 Department of Chemical Engineering, Shahrood Branch, Islamic Azad University, Shahrood, Iran Abstract Poly(lactic acid) (PLA) is a biobased and compastable thermoplastic polyester that has been under investigation tremendously, and the main aim of those researches has been the introduction of a commodity material replacing the oil-based plastics [1]. The major obstacle on the way of extending the applications of PLA is the control of its crystallinity which is crucial on its degradation rate, thermal resistance, mechanical and also barrier properties [2]. In this work, nano-scale sized layered double hydroxide (LDH) was utilized in order to generally boost the properties of PLA as well as improve its crystallization extent and rate since they could act as nucleating agents. However, the growth rate was attempted to increase by incorporation of a proper plasticizer such as triethyl citrate (TEC). In this way, the combined use of LDH and TEC could synergistically increase the crystallization of PLA causing the application window of PLA to be further extended. DSC non-isothermal experiments were conducted and the above claim has been confirmed. Moreover, the POM results are also investigated in this research. Keywords: Poly(lactic acid); Layered double hydroxide; Crystallization References: [1] R. Auras, B. Harte, S. Selke, Macromolecular Bioscience, 4 (2004) 835–864. [2] S. Saeidlou, M.A. Huneault, H. Li, C.B. Park, Progress in Polymer Science, 37 (2012) 1657–1677.