Optimization of Mechanical, Thermal, and Rheological Properties of Carbon Nanotube-Reinforced Polylactic Acid/Thermoplastic Polyurethane Nanocomposites via Melt Mixing

Optimization of Mechanical, Thermal, and Rheological Properties of Carbon Nanotube-Reinforced Polylactic Acid/Thermoplastic Polyurethane Nanocomposites via Melt Mixing | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Article Optimization of Mechanical, Thermal, and Rheological Properties of Carbon Nanotube-Reinforced Polylactic Acid/Thermoplastic Polyurethane Nanocomposites via Melt Mixing m saeidi, mohsen najafi, maryam ataeefard This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-8356621/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Published Journal Publication published 24 Apr, 2026 Read the published version in Scientific Reports → Version 1 posted 16 You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract Polylactic acid (PLA), a bio-renewable, biodegradable, and biocompatible polymer, offers high strength, transparency, and acceptable processability with lower energy requirements compared to petroleum-based polymers. Its combination with thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU), a highly elastic material impervious to impact, tearing, and abrasion, presents a promising approach for property enhancement. Furthermore, the incorporation of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) was investigated to further improve mechanical characteristics. In this study, PLA/TPU blends containing carbon nanotubes were prepared using melt mixing in an internal mixer. Initially, CNT/polymer masterbatches were fabricated to improve the dispersion and distribution of CNTs, followed by the production of PLA/TPU/CNT nanocomposites. After determining the optimal mixing method, the effect of CNT content on the mixture’s properties was systematically investigated. The morphology, physical, mechanical, and rheological properties of the samples were analyzed using Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) images, tensile testing, Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC), and Frequency Sweep Analysis. The melt mixing method yielded more favorable mechanical, thermal, and rheological properties. SEM micrographs revealed a droplet morphology of TPU within a continuous PLA phase. Upon the introduction of 0.2 wt% CNT, the size of the TPU domains diminished and stabilized. The highest tensile strength and toughness were achieved with the addition of 0.5 wt% CNT. DSC analysis indicated that blending PLA with TPU significantly increased the degree of PLA crystallization and reduced the cold crystallization temperature. The degree of crystallization was further enhanced by CNT addition, while the cold crystallization temperature remained unaffected. Frequency sweep tests demonstrated that CNT addition up to 0.5 wt% had a negligible effect on the storage modulus of PLA. However, higher CNT loadings (1 and 2 wt%) led to an increase in storage modulus and a plateau at low frequencies, attributed to the formation of a network structure. Physical sciences/Engineering Physical sciences/Materials science Physical sciences/Nanoscience and technology Polylactic acid thermoplastic polyurethane carbon nanotube nanocomposite rheology mechanical properties morphology toughness Full Text Additional Declarations No competing interests reported. Supplementary Files Rheometry.rar CA.rar DSC.rar Cite Share Download PDF Status: Published Journal Publication published 24 Apr, 2026 Read the published version in Scientific Reports → Version 1 posted Editorial decision: Revision requested 01 Feb, 2026 Reviews received at journal 27 Jan, 2026 Reviewers agreed at journal 27 Jan, 2026 Reviews received at journal 24 Jan, 2026 Reviewers agreed at journal 24 Jan, 2026 Reviewers agreed at journal 23 Jan, 2026 Reviewers agreed at journal 22 Jan, 2026 Reviewers agreed at journal 22 Jan, 2026 Reviews received at journal 20 Jan, 2026 Reviewers agreed at journal 30 Dec, 2025 Reviewers agreed at journal 27 Dec, 2025 Reviewers invited by journal 25 Dec, 2025 Editor assigned by journal 24 Dec, 2025 Editor invited by journal 24 Dec, 2025 Submission checks completed at journal 23 Dec, 2025 First submitted to journal 23 Dec, 2025 You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. We do this by developing innovative software and high quality services for the global research community. Our growing team is made up of researchers and industry professionals working together to solve the most critical problems facing scientific publishing. Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-8356621","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":565437192,"identity":"c99488fd-9660-46ce-afe9-d19670c70440","order_by":0,"name":"m saeidi","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Qom University of Technology","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"m","middleName":"","lastName":"saeidi","suffix":""},{"id":565437193,"identity":"c938645c-c322-4d77-97ac-dc5315b98300","order_by":1,"name":"mohsen 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Its combination with thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU), a highly elastic material impervious to impact, tearing, and abrasion, presents a promising approach for property enhancement. Furthermore, the incorporation of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) was investigated to further improve mechanical characteristics. In this study, PLA/TPU blends containing carbon nanotubes were prepared using melt mixing in an internal mixer. Initially, CNT/polymer masterbatches were fabricated to improve the dispersion and distribution of CNTs, followed by the production of PLA/TPU/CNT nanocomposites. After determining the optimal mixing method, the effect of CNT content on the mixture\u0026rsquo;s properties was systematically investigated. The morphology, physical, mechanical, and rheological properties of the samples were analyzed using Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) images, tensile testing, Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC), and Frequency Sweep Analysis. The melt mixing method yielded more favorable mechanical, thermal, and rheological properties. SEM micrographs revealed a droplet morphology of TPU within a continuous PLA phase. Upon the introduction of 0.2 wt% CNT, the size of the TPU domains diminished and stabilized. The highest tensile strength and toughness were achieved with the addition of 0.5 wt% CNT. DSC analysis indicated that blending PLA with TPU significantly increased the degree of PLA crystallization and reduced the cold crystallization temperature. The degree of crystallization was further enhanced by CNT addition, while the cold crystallization temperature remained unaffected. Frequency sweep tests demonstrated that CNT addition up to 0.5 wt% had a negligible effect on the storage modulus of PLA. 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