Flexible polylactic acid/polyethylene glycol@erucamide microfibrous packaging with ordered fiber orientation

The synergistic effect that arises from blending functional agents with ordered fiber orientated structures is a noteworthy strategy to improve the mechanical properties, flexibility and waterproof performance of polylactic acid microfibrous fabrics. A promising polylactic acid/polyethylene glycol@erucamide (PLA/PEG@Era) microfibrous fabric with an ordered fiber orientation was successfully prepared by blending Era with PLA, followed by composite preparation processes of melt blowing and stretching. The results of the study revealed that the blended PLA/PEG@Era polymer with an Era mass ratio of 1.5% exhibited a higher relative degree of crystallinity of about 18.64% in comparison to the PLA/PEG polymer with a crystallinity degree of 2.24%. Moreover, the prepared fabrics exhibited a pleasant microfibrous nonwoven structure with an ordered, regular and a compensating fiber distribution, obtained by facile tailing of the stretching ratio. Also, the samples showed a high tensile breaking strength of 41.1 N with a good vapor permeability, ranging from 2537.2 g/(m²·day) to 2136.9 g/(m²·day), in addition to its excellent waterproof performance and softness. The study provides sufficient evidence that the developed PLA/PEG@Era microfibrous fabrics are extremely suitable candidates for packaging and outdoor clothing applications.