Estudio y caracterización de polímeros con memoria de forma derivados formulaciones de poli(ácido láctico) -- PLA, plastificadas con oligómeros de ácido láctico - OLAs

Abstract

[ES] El objetivo central del proyecto es el desarrollo de polímeros con memoria de forma utilizando como base poli(ácido láctico) PLA. No obstante, debido a su rigidez y fragilidad, se abordará la mejora en las propiedades flexibles mediante procesos de plastificación con oligómeros de ácido láctico (OLAs). Se pretende abordar el estudio de la memoria de forma de los materiales desarrollados desde el punto de vista de la ingeniería del material, fabricación, propiedades y caracterización. Los objetivos parciales son: 1.- Revisión bibliográfica y estudio del estado del arte. 2.- Formulación y fabricación de PLA plastificado con diversos OLAs. 3.- Caracterización mecánica, térmica, mecánico-dinámica de mezclas de PLA pastificado. 4.- Estudio de los fenómenos de recuperación y memoria de forma en las formulaciones desarrolladas.

[EN] Biodegradable polymers started to be used due to the importance of the elimination and the recycling of the polymers in excess coming from fossil resources. Moreover, its use was also influenced by its scarcity and the increase of its price. All these aspects have contributed to the use of renewable materials that have been an economic imperative in recent years and they have meant the development of the numerous studies involving biodegradable polymers materials that facilitate an appropriate adpatability and application currently. As demonstrated in many studies, polylactic acid (PLA) is a polymeric material that has been a very attractive recently because of its properties. They are mechanic, biodegradable and even biocompatible and they have a great application in several sectors at present. One of the multiple properties of PLA that has become very important recently is the behaviour of shape memory. It allows the development of new applications, being the ones are used in medicine the most important ones. For instance, through the creation of devices such as self-adjusting biodegradable sutures and cardiovascular stents. However, PLA cannot replace certain polymeric materials with shape memory by its own, since its rigid and room temperature features limit its development and growth. In order to change the rigid properties of PLA, one economic and simple way is through plasticizers. Additionally, there are many studies about shape memory that have used one plasticizer scarcely compatible with PLA. Therefore, it would be convenient the use of one plasticizer highly compatible that gets an effective plasticizing and reduces the temperature of the vitreous transition. Thus, the ductile properties would increase and, consequently, all the properties of the shape memory together would improve. One possibility is the use of one biodegradable plasticizer such as acid lactic oligomer (OLA) that is obtained through one controlled polymeration of monomer. Many studies have worked with these plasticizers added to PLA and they have achieved interesting properties that improve the features of the shape memory. Overall, several methods will be developed and will allow the study of the mechanical, thermal, morphological and shape memory properties of the different physical mixtures of PLA and OLA. Hence, their behaviour will be able to be evaluated and, consequently, their application will be able to be studied in the future.