Fabrication of Open Cellular PLA/PBAT Foams with High Volume Expansion Ratio and Biodegradable Property

Open cellular polymer foams are characterized by three-dimensional connected pore structures, and they are widely applied in various fields. In this study, the polylactic acid/polybutylene adipate (PLA/PBAT) composite foams with excellent open cellular structures were successfully fabricated via a nucleating agent TMC-assisted supercritical carbon dioxide (scCO2) batch foaming process. The introduction of PBAT and TMC effectively improved the crystallization behavior of systems and enhanced their melt strengths, optimizing the foaming properties of the materials. The distributions of the soft and hard phases within the systems played important roles in preparing open cellular foam materials, which were controlled by adjusting the nucleating agent in combination with the holding time. Notably, the L/B/0.1T-5 foam with a volume expansion ratio (VER) of 61.8 presented outstanding interconnected structures, which also exhibited superior hydrophobic capabilities (water contact angle reaching 143.61°), remarkable adsorption capacity (the maximum adsorption capacity of CCl4 approaching 48.4 g/g), excellent reusability, and improved compressive properties. Generally, this study could put forward an effective strategy to develop biodegradable open cellular foam with a high VER and exceptional performances.