Zinc oxide (ZnO) pillared organic saponite was synthesized with cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) via a microwave hydrolysis method. Moreover, poly(lactic acid) (PLA)/ZnO pillared organic saponite nanocomposites were prepared by solution intercalation. The microstructure analysis suggested that ZnO pillared organic saponite appeared at an exfoliated or partially intercalated nanometer layer, which dispersed homogeneously in PLA matrix. The experimental results showed that ZnO pillared organic saponite improved the mechanical properties and thermal stabilities of PLA/ZnO pillared organic saponite nanocomposites. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) results demonstrated that the ZnO pillared organic saponite eliminated the cold crystallization process, decreased the crystal size and obviously promoted the crystallinity of PLA, which was in accordance with XRD analysis results. At the same time, the properties of UV absorbance and antibacterial properties of nano ZnO were introduced into PLA.

Keywords: poly(lactic acid); ZnO pillared organic saponite; nanocomposites; performance; structure