Mechanical,Biodegradation and Morphological Properties of Sisal Fiber Reinforced Poly(Lactic Acid) Biocomposites |
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Authors: | Bing Wang Kanza Hina Li Cui Danying Zuo Changhai Yi |
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Affiliation: | Key Laboratory of Green Processing and Functional Textile of New Textile Materials (Wuhan Textile University), Ministry of Education, Wuhan, Hubei, PR China |
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Abstract: | Sisal fiber-reinforced poly(lactic acid) (SF/PLA) biocomposites were prepared by melt mixing and subsequent compression molding. The effect of fiber content and sodium hydroxide (NaOH) concentration, used for the fiber mercerization, on the properties of the biocomposites was investigated. It was found that the SFs had a large potential for improving the mechanical properties of the biocomposites. The tensile strength and impact strength increased linearly up to a fiber content of 20%, and then decreased due to the fiber agglomeration. The water absorption was enhanced with increasing the SF content owing to the SFs containing an abundance of hydroxyl groups. The biodegradability of the SF/PLA biocomposites increased similarly. Furthermore, the mercerization led to an increase of the mechanical properties of the biocomposites, which normally depended on the fiber-matrix adhesion. The mercerization had competing effects on the water absorption and biodegradability, including not only the positive function of the improved hydrophilicity of the mercerized-SF but also the negative role of the increase of fiber-matrix interfacial adhesion. Overall, the optimum SF load for mechanical properties was 20?wt% due to a good balance between the reinforcement and distribution of the SFs, whereas the 6% NaOH concentration was optimal owing to the resulting fibers yielding the highest mechanical properties and acceptable water resistance and biodegradability. |
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Keywords: | Biocomposite biodegradability mechanical properties poly(lactic acid) sisal fibers |
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