Direct Preparation of High Thermal Stable PLA‐Based Nanocomposite via Extra‐Low Loading of In Situ Exfoliated Ultrathin MWW Zeolite Nanosheets

Poly(lactic acid) (PLA)‐based nanocomposite incorporated with zeolite MCM‐22 precursor at extra‐low loading of 0.2–0.8 wt% is directly prepared by melt compounding and injection moulding method. The Vicat softening temperature raises up to >155 °C, much higher than that of pure PLA (63 °C), which is very beneficial for its application in many fields such as a container for hot food due to its environmentally friendly property. The high heat resistance property is believed to not be caused by the improvement of crystallinity and glass transition temperature but resulting from the obstruction of PLA polymer chain movement originating from >CO···HOSi hydrogen bonding between PLA molecules and the in situ exfoliated MWW zeolite nanosheets with abundant exposed surface silanol groups. Such a method would pave a new way not only for designing more types of thermal stable polymer composites but also for delaminating multi‐layered zeolite precursors. Poly(lactic acid) (PLA)‐based nanocomposite with high heat resistance property (Vicat softening temperature >155 °C) is directly prepared by using melt compounding and injection moulding method. It may be attributed to the local ordered structure formed by obstruction of PLA polymer chain movement originating from >CO···HOSi hydrogen bonding between PLA molecules and the in situ exfoliated MWW zeolite nanosheets.