Tailored Thermal and Mechanical Performance of Biodegradable PLA ‐P( VDF ‐ TrFE ) Polymer Blends

Abstract

ABSTRACT The development of polymer blends has emerged as a strategic approach for designing multifunctional materials with enhanced tailored characteristics. Current work investigates and reports the structure–property relationships in free‐standing blend films of poly(vinylidene fluoride‐trifluoroethylene) (P(VDF‐TrFE)) and polylactic acid (PLA), prepared to evaluate their suitability for functional applications. For this investigation, films of nearly 40 μm thick were fabricated by systematically varying the P(VDF‐TrFE):PLA ratio. Thermal analysis revealed a higher PLA crystallinity at 25% P(VDF‐TrFE) content, while Fourier‐transform infrared spectroscopy showed the electroactive β‐phase fraction to be highest in the 50:50 composition. These findings correlated with tensile strength measurements and morphology, demonstrating that molecular ordering and phase distribution significantly influence the mechanical performance. The 25:75 blend exhibited superior mechanical strength due to enhanced PLA crystallization and polymer chain alignment. In contrast, the 50:50 blend achieved a balance between tensile strength and electroactive phase development, marking it a promising candidate for sensors and 3D printing applications. At higher P(VDF‐TrFE) content, reduced crystallinity in PLA resulted in softer, more compliant films which would be suitable for flexible electronic applications. These results establish a pathway to tune mechanical and functional properties in semicrystalline polymer blends through facile compositional control.