Recent Advances in Carbon Nanotube-Modified Polylactide

Polylactide (PLA) has been regarded as one of the most promising bio-based, environmentally-friendly polymers. The products derived from PLA will degrade into CO2 and H2 O ultimately after being wastes. To this extent, PLA is the really sustainable synthetic polymers, due to its nature-to-nature loop within life cycle. However, inherent brittleness, poor heat resistance, slow crystallization rate and high cost, have limited pure PLA and its composites’ potential applications. Carbon nanotubes (CNT) is one kinds of one-dimensional nano-materials with hollow structures composed of only hybrid sp2 C-C bonds. CNT is identified as the most preferred candidate for space elevators, due to its excellent mechanical properties and electrical conductivity. CNT/PLA blends will exert synergistic effects of their individual component, bring breakthroughs in their structures and various properties, and open up potential application scenarios for the resultant composite materials. In this review, recent advances on fabrication methods, structure manipulation, property optimization and application scenarios of CNT/PLA composites were summarized. Especially, the effects of CNT content and pretreatment methods on the microstructures and properties of the resultant PLA composites were focused on in this review. Also, future prospective of CNT/PLA composite materials were addressed.