Item


Fully biodegradable polylactic composites reinforced with bleached softwood fibers

The increasing environmental awareness of the society has led to the development of materials with a lowerenvironmental impact. Polylactic acid (PLA) is a biodegradable polymer with higher mechanical properties than PP.The scientific literature shows some interest in PLA reinforced biocomposites, but the published mechanical propertiesof such materials are comparatively low. In fact, the generation of a good interface, when the reinforcement contentsare higher than 30%, is nowadays unsolved. The main objective of this study is to obtain PLA biocomposites with agood interface and with satisfactory improvements in their mechanical properties against reinforcement contents.Bleached pine fibers, used as reinforcement, were prepared and shred with 1/3 and 2/3 of diglyme, in order to avoid theformation of hydrogen bonds among the cellulose fibers. Then, composite materials were obtained through kineticmixing. The composites were injection molded to make standard specimens and were submitted to tensile tests. Theresults showed that the addition of diglyme favored the formation of hydrogen bonds between the reinforcement andthe PLA. Only the fibers treated with 2/3 diglyme followed a linear positive progression of its tensile strength whenincreasing reinforcement contents were added. Although suitable results were obtained, it seems that these composites

Editura Academiei Romane

Author: Granda Garcia, Luis Angel
Tarrés Farrés, Quim
Espinach Orús, Xavier
Julián Pérez, Fernando
Méndez González, José Alberto
Delgado Aguilar, Marc
Mutjé Pujol, Pere
Abstract: The increasing environmental awareness of the society has led to the development of materials with a lowerenvironmental impact. Polylactic acid (PLA) is a biodegradable polymer with higher mechanical properties than PP.The scientific literature shows some interest in PLA reinforced biocomposites, but the published mechanical propertiesof such materials are comparatively low. In fact, the generation of a good interface, when the reinforcement contentsare higher than 30%, is nowadays unsolved. The main objective of this study is to obtain PLA biocomposites with agood interface and with satisfactory improvements in their mechanical properties against reinforcement contents.Bleached pine fibers, used as reinforcement, were prepared and shred with 1/3 and 2/3 of diglyme, in order to avoid theformation of hydrogen bonds among the cellulose fibers. Then, composite materials were obtained through kineticmixing. The composites were injection molded to make standard specimens and were submitted to tensile tests. Theresults showed that the addition of diglyme favored the formation of hydrogen bonds between the reinforcement andthe PLA. Only the fibers treated with 2/3 diglyme followed a linear positive progression of its tensile strength whenincreasing reinforcement contents were added. Although suitable results were obtained, it seems that these composites
Document access: http://hdl.handle.net/2072/284758
Language: eng
Publisher: Editura Academiei Romane
Rights: Tots els drets reservats. Reproduced by permission of Romanian Academy, the owner of the publishing rights
Subject: Polímers -- Biodegradació
Polymers -- Biodegradation
Àcid polilàctic
Polylactic acid
Title: Fully biodegradable polylactic composites reinforced with bleached softwood fibers
Type: info:eu-repo/semantics/article
Repository: Recercat

Subjects

Authors