Abstract
Sawdust/poly (lactic acid) (PLA) composites toughened with poly (butylene adipate-co-terephthalate) (PBAT) were prepared using a melt blending process. Mechanical, thermal and morphological properties of the composites were investigated. With the addition of PBAT into the sawdust/PLA composite, elongation at break and impact strength increased whereas tensile strength and tensile modulus decreased. In addition, thermal stability of the PLA composite improved with the presence of PBAT. Maleic anhydride grafted poly (lactic acid) (PLA-g-MA) was used as a compatibilizer to improve the compatibility of sawdust/PLA/PBAT composites. The compatibilized composites showed higher mechanical properties and thermal decomposition temperatures than that of the uncompatibilized composite due to improved interfacial adhesion between constituents of the composites. The optimum content of PLA-g-MA for sawdust/PLA/PBAT composites was 5 wt%. SEM micrographs revealed some features of ductile fracture in the composites toughened with PBAT and confirmed that PLA-g-MA improved the compatibility of the composites.
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