Optimization of 4D Printing Performance of Poly(lactic acid)/Thermoplastic Polyurethane Composites <italic style="font-style: italic">via</italic> Orthogonal Design and the Synergistic Effect of Crosslinking Agent-coupling Agent

Zhen Liu; Bo Wang; Shi-Cheng Wei; Wei Huang; Yu-Jiang Wang; Xin-Yang Wang; Rui-Dong Shi; Zheng-Jie Yang

doi:10.1007/s10118-026-3561-5

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Optimization of 4D Printing Performance of Poly(lactic acid)/Thermoplastic Polyurethane Composites via Orthogonal Design and the Synergistic Effect of Crosslinking Agent-coupling Agent

RESEARCH ARTICLE | Updated：2026-03-26

- Optimization of 4D Printing Performance of Poly(lactic acid)/Thermoplastic Polyurethane Composites via Orthogonal Design and the Synergistic Effect of Crosslinking Agent-coupling Agent
- Chinese Journal of Polymer Science Vol. 44, Issue 4, Pages: 1069-1082(2026)
- Affiliations：
  
  a.National Key Laboratory for Remanufacturing, Beijing 100072, China
  b.Department of Naval Architecture Engineering, Naval University of Engineering, Wuhan 430033, China
  c.School of Metallurgy, Northeastern University, Shenyang 110819, China
- Author bio：
  
  wangbobo421@163.com (B.W.)
  scwei33333@163.com (S.C.W.)
- Funds：
- DOI：10.1007/s10118-026-3561-5
  CLC：
- Received：24 October 2025，
  
  Accepted：03 January 2026，
  
  Online First：05 March 2026，
  
  Published：05 April 2026
- Accepted：
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Liu, Z.; Wang, B.; Wei, S. C.; Huang, W.; Wang, Y. J.; Wang, X. Y.; Shi, R. D.; Yang, Z. J. Optimization of 4D printing performance of poly(lactic acid)/thermoplastic polyurethane composites via orthogonal design and the synergistic effect of crosslinking agent-coupling agent. Chinese J. Polym. Sci. 2026, 44, 1069–1082

Zhen Liu, Bo Wang, Shi-Cheng Wei, et al. Optimization of 4D Printing Performance of Poly(lactic acid)/Thermoplastic Polyurethane Composites via Orthogonal Design and the Synergistic Effect of Crosslinking Agent-coupling Agent[J]. Chinese Journal of Polymer Science, 2026, 44(4): 1069-1082. DOI: 10.1007/s10118-026-3561-5.
Liu, Z.; Wang, B.; Wei, S. C.; Huang, W.; Wang, Y. J.; Wang, X. Y.; Shi, R. D.; Yang, Z. J. Optimization of 4D printing performance of poly(lactic acid)/thermoplastic polyurethane composites via orthogonal design and the synergistic effect of crosslinking agent-coupling agent. Chinese J. Polym. Sci. 2026, 44, 1069–1082 DOI： 10.1007/s10118-026-3561-5.

Zhen Liu, Bo Wang, Shi-Cheng Wei, et al. Optimization of 4D Printing Performance of Poly(lactic acid)/Thermoplastic Polyurethane Composites via Orthogonal Design and the Synergistic Effect of Crosslinking Agent-coupling Agent[J]. Chinese Journal of Polymer Science, 2026, 44(4): 1069-1082. DOI: 10.1007/s10118-026-3561-5. DOI：

摘要

This study investigates the synergistic effect of dicumyl peroxide (DCP) and maleic anhydride-grafted polyethylene (MAH-

-PE) on 4D printing performance of

70 wt%/30 wt% poly(lactic acid)/thermoplastic polyurethane (PLA/TPU) composites

via

) orthogonal design. The optimal formulation (0.5 wt% DCP+2 wt% MAH-

-PE) exhibits 98.8% shape fixation rate

fastest recovery

and balanced strength-ductility

providing a viable strategy for high-performance 4D printing materials.

Abstract

This study aimed to systematically regulate the performance of 4D printing composites by investigating the synergistic effects of dicumyl peroxide (DCP) and maleic anhydride-grafted polyethylene (MAH-

-PE) on a poly(lactic acid)/thermoplastic polyurethane (PLA/TPU) matrix. Specifically

using a 70 wt%/30 wt% PLA/TPU matrix and an L

) orthogonal design

composites were evaluated

via

morphology

shape memory

mechanical tests

and multi-criteria analysis. Moderate DCP enhanced crosslinking

improving storage modulus and thermal stability

while excessive DCP caused brittleness. Furthermore

MAH-

-PE effectively improved interfacial compatibility

and its synergy with DCP was dosage-dependent. Consequently

Sample 5 achieved optimal performance

exhibiting uniform fracture morphology

a shape fixation rate of 98.8% with the fastest recovery

and balanced strength-ductility. Multi-criteria analysis identified elongation at break and recovery time as the top contributing factors

with consistent rankings validated by Spearman analysis (

=0.833

0.01). In summary

adjusting DCP and MAH-

-PE contents effectively modulates the crosslinking structure and interfacial properties of PLA/TPU composites

providing a viable strategy for developing high-performance

tunable 4D printing materials.

关键词

Keywords

references

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Optimization of 4D Printing Performance of Poly(lactic acid)/Thermoplastic Polyurethane Composites via Orthogonal Design and the Synergistic Effect of Crosslinking Agent-coupling Agent

DOI：10.1007/s10118-026-3561-5

摘要

Abstract

关键词

Keywords

references