Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

A Study of the Kinetics of Polylactic Acid Crystallization by Image Processing

  • Articles
  • Published:
MRS Online Proceedings Library Aims and scope

Abstract

The polylactic acid (PLLA) is commonly used in the biomedical application. The physical and mechanical properties of PLLA depend on the molecular weight, crystallinity, and synthesis. In this work, we study the PLLA crystallization kinetics. One of the main attractive of these polymers is that its degree of crystallinity can easily be modified, from amorphous state to a high crystallinity degree. In this study a new technique is applied to follow the crystallization kinetic. An optical microscope with cross polarizers, warming plates and video camera were used. A series of images were obtained under isothermal conditions to observe the growth spherulite. Since an image is composed by pixels and each pixel has a value from 0 to 255, which represents gray intensity, being zero for black and 255 are white. Then, the pixels average versus time was plotting and from the plots crystallization kinetic and secondary crystallization are easily obtained.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Donald Garlotta, Journal of Polymers and the Environment 9, 63 (2002).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. E. Urbanovici, H. A. Schneider, D. Brizzolara and H. J. Cantow, Journal of Thermal Analysis 47, 931 (1996).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. R.J.M. Zwiers, S. Gogolewski and J. Pennings, Polymer 24, 167 (1983).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. K. Kishore, R. Vasanthakumari, Colloid & Polymer Science 266, 999 (1988).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Manuel Salmerón Sánchez, Vincent B. F. Mathot, Geert Vanden Poel, and José Luis Gómez Ribelles, Macromolecules 40, 7989 (2007).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. Grte Strobl, The Physics of Polymers, 2nd ed. (Springer, New York, 1997) pp185–160.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  7. C Liu, M Muthukumar, Journal of Chemical and Physics 109, 2536 (1998).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. J. D. Hoffman, L. J. Frolen, G.S. Ross, J.I. Lauritzen, Journal of Research of the National Bureau of Stadars- A. Physics and Chemistry, 79A, 671 (1975).

    CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Instituto Politécnico Nacional, ESFM - Departamento de Ciencia de Materiales, Av. IPN, Ed. 9 U.P.A.L.M., 07738, México D.F., México, USA

    M. Olvera-Gracia, T. Kryshtab, A. M. Paniagua-Mercado & J. Aguilar-Hernández.

Authors
  1. M. Olvera-Gracia
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. T. Kryshtab
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. A. M. Paniagua-Mercado
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. J. Aguilar-Hernández.
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Olvera-Gracia, M., Kryshtab, T., Paniagua-Mercado, A.M. et al. A Study of the Kinetics of Polylactic Acid Crystallization by Image Processing. MRS Online Proceedings Library 1242, 102 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1557/PROC-1242-S4-P102

Download citation

  • Published:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1557/PROC-1242-S4-P102

Search

Navigation