Abstract
Carbon fiber reinforced composites have exceptional potential to play a key role in the materials world of our future. However, their success undoubtedly depends on the extent they can contribute to advance a global sustainability objective. Utilizing polymers in these composites that can be potentially derived from biomasses would be certainly vital for next-generation manufacturing practices. Nevertheless, deep understanding and tailoring fiber-matrix interactions are crucial issues in order to design carbon fiber reinforced sustainable resource-based biocomposites. In this study, cellulose derivatives (cellulose propionate and cellulose acetate butyrate) are utilized as model polymer matrices that can be potentially fabricated from biomasses, and the mechanical properties of the prepared short carbon fiber reinforced composites are engineered by means of a functional biobased lignin coating on the fiber surface. Furthermore, polyamide 6 based composites are also prepared, the monomer of this polymer could be obtained using C6 sugars derived from lignocellulosic biomasses in the future (through 5-hydroxymethylfurfural). Lignin was successfully immobilized on the carbon fiber surface via an industrially scalable benign epoxidation reaction. The surface modification had a beneficial impact on the mechanical properties of cellulose propionate and polyamide 6 composites. Furthermore, our results also revealed that cellulose-based matrices are highly sensitive to the presence of rigid fiber segments that restrict polymer chain movements and facilitate stress development. It follows that the physicochemical properties of the cellulosic matrices (molecular weight, crystallinity), associated with polymer chain mobility, might need to be carefully considered when designing these composites. At the same time, polyamide 6 showed excellent ability to accommodate short carbon fibers without leading to a largely brittle material, in this case, a maximum tensile strength of ~136 MPa was obtained at 20 wt% fiber loading. These results were further contrasted with that of a petroleum-based polypropylene matrix exhibiting inferior mechanical properties. Our study clearly indicates that carbon fiber reinforced polymers derived and designed using biomass-derived resources can be promising green materials for a sustainable future.
Highlights
On account of a seemingly irreversible signature the human activity has already left on Earth, plastics among many manufactured modern materials can be found in geological deposits (Waters et al, 2016; Schneiderman and Hillmyer, 2017)
In order to further test these theories, in this study we prepare short carbon fiber reinforced composites utilizing polymers that can be potentially derived from biomasses [cellulose derivatives (Kakuchi et al, 2017; Suzuki et al, 2018) and polyamide 6 (Buntara et al, 2011; Winnacker and Rieger, 2016)] as model materials and tailor the interfacial interactions utilizing lignin as a renewable resource
It has been revealed in our previous work that lignin can improve the shear tolerance at the carbon fiber-matrix interface in green
Summary
On account of a seemingly irreversible signature the human activity has already left on Earth, plastics among many manufactured modern materials can be found in geological deposits (Waters et al, 2016; Schneiderman and Hillmyer, 2017). Particular sustainability concerns are surrounding advanced structures that are recently gaining interest in several fields, and thereby are predicted to be key components in the materials world of the future Based on their market growth and exceptional properties (Frank et al, 2014; Witten et al, 2017), carbon fiber reinforced polymers are these types of materials that must be strictly designed from the point of view of sustainability issues. In order to further test these theories, in this study we prepare short carbon fiber reinforced composites utilizing polymers that can be potentially derived from biomasses [cellulose derivatives (Kakuchi et al, 2017; Suzuki et al, 2018) and polyamide 6 (Buntara et al, 2011; Winnacker and Rieger, 2016)] as model materials and tailor the interfacial interactions utilizing lignin as a renewable resource. All the other chemicals were from Tokyo Chemical Industry Co., Ltd. (Tokyo, Japan)
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