Abstract
In recent decades, natural-fiber-reinforced poly (lactic acid) (PLA) composites have received a great deal of attention. In this study, biocomposites of poly (lactic acid) and abutilon fibers are prepared by using melt blending and an extruder. The effects of fiber additions on rheological, thermomechanical, thermal, and morphological properties are investigated using a rheometer, dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA), differential scanning calorimeter (DSC), TGA, and SEM, respectively. The DSC results indicate that the fibers acted as a nucleating agent, which led to enhancing the crystallization of PLA. The results also reveal that the thermal stability of PLA was improved by abutilon fibers. Moreover, higher values of storage modulus are observed, which are attributed to strong interfacial adhesion. In addition, thetan delta isreduced upon the addition of fiber content into the PLA matrix, which restricts the mobility of PLA polymer molecules in the presence of the fibers. The improvement of the properties and energy absorption capabilities of such biocomposites signifies the great potential of abutilon fibers as reinforcement in green composites.
Highlights
Natural-fiber-reinforced composites are widely used and are replacing synthetic fiber-reinforced polymers, especially for industrial applications such as biomedical instruments, biodegradable packaging, buildings, and automobiles [1,2,3,4,5]
The wave number was associated with the functional group; namely, wave numbers 3421 and 602 cm−1 were associated with the –OH group; 1049 cm−1 belonged to the C–O group; 1629 cm−1 was associated with C=C, which was attributed to the aromatic skeletal vibration of lignin; 1737 cm−1 belonged to C=O stretching, which pertained to acetyl or uranic ester; and 2925 cm−1 belonged to the C–H stretching in an aromatic methyl group of cellulose and hemicellulose [23,24]
The results revealed that the thermal stability decreased upon the addition of fiber into poly(lactic acid) (PLA) due to the lower thermal stability of the fiber
Summary
Natural-fiber-reinforced composites are widely used and are replacing synthetic fiber-reinforced polymers, especially for industrial applications such as biomedical instruments, biodegradable packaging, buildings, and automobiles [1,2,3,4,5]. Natural fibers generated from agriculture residue are considered to be renewable resources and have gained more attention than their counterparts due to their various advantages, which include but are not limited to lower-cost, obtain ability, recyclability, and biodegradability, as well as possessing eco-friendly characteristics compared to other fibers. PLA is a synthetic aliphatic polyester produced from products of renewable crops (e.g., sugarcane, sugar beet, maize, and cassava) [11]. PLA has many applications in, for example, biomedical instruments, biodegradable packaging, and automotive industries [4]. It has been stated that PLA has an advantage over other polymers produced from oil.
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