ISOTHERMAL MELT CRYSTALLIZATION KINETICS OF POLY(L-LACTIC ACID)

A DSC study was carried out of the isothermal melt crystallization kin etics of poly(L-lactic acid), PLLA, at 110, 115, 120, 125 and 130 degr ees C. The experimental data were evaluated within the framework of th e well-known Avrami kinetic model and an extended model involving an a dditional third kinetic parameter [8]. In order to perform the necessa ry numerical calculations, a number of functions built into the Mathem atica(R) software system were used. The results showed that the isothe rmal melt crystallization kinetics of PLLA can be described adequately by both these kinetic models. It should also be stressed that the kin etic model of Urbanovici and Segal offers a better description of the experimental melt crystallization data of PLLA than the classical Avra mi model.