Abstract
Polylactic acid (PLA) is a biodegradable plastic made from lactic acid, and can be produce by renewable raw materials. In addition, PLA has better mechanical properties and commercial availability than those of other biodegradable plastics. The mechanical properties of PLA are, however, not sufficient for structural materials. In order to overcome the deficiency, carbon nanofiber reinforced PLA was fabricated, and the mechanical properties were measured at room and elevated temperatures. Vapor grown carbon fiber (VGCF) was used for reinforcement, which has 150 nm in diameter and 10 tm in length. No surface treatment of VGCF was conducted. The weight fraction of VGCF ranged from 1wt% to 10wt%. Three point bending specimens were fabricated by using injection molding, and then bending stiffness, bending strength and fracture toughness were measured for amorphous and crystallized specimens. The bending stiffness increased, but the bending strength and fracture toughness slightly decreased at room and elevated temperatures.
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