Fabrication Mechanical Properties of Unidirectional Jute/PP Composites Using Jute Yarns by Film Stacking Method

This paper mainly focuses on the fabrication process of long fibre reinforced unidirectional thermoplastic composites made using both natural (untreated) treated jute yarns. Jute yarns were wound in layers onto a metallic frame. Polypropylene films were inserted between these layers and compression moulded to fabricate unidirectional jute/PP composite specimens. Static mechanical properties were evaluated from tensile three point bending tests. Pre- post-failure examination were carried out on the test specimens using optical scanning electron microscopy to analyse the test results and investigate the correlations between their impregnation state, processing conditions, mechanical performances and fracture morphologies. For the unidirectional jute/PP film-stacked composites, the results indicated that the processing condition at the moulding temperature of 160°C and moulding pressure of 2.0 MPa for 15 min was ideally suited to obtain optimized properties. Improved wettability of resin melts due to complete matrix fusion at this processing condition facilitated thorough impregnation with minimum microstructural imperfections (microvoids) being generated. Jute/PP composites that contained treated jute yarns have shown superiority in tensile bending properties. Jute yarns polished or coated with PVA/PP (polyvinyl alcohol/polypropylene) must have contributed positively to fibre/matrix interfacial interactions leading to matrix to fibre effective stress transfer, thereby improving their reinforcing effects. Tensile strength and modulus of PP resin increased by approximately 285% and 388%, respectively, due to 50 wt% reinforcement by natural jute yarns. Further improvements in strength and modulus were achieved by approximately 14% and 10%, respectively, when treated yarns were used . The maximum bending stress modulus of jute/PP composites containing untreated yarns were approximately 190% and 460% higher than those of the virgin PP materials, and bending properties were improved by further 11% and 23%, respectively, due to coating treatments on the yarn surface.     

Effect of Poly(l-Lactide) and Poly(Butylene Succinate) on the Growth of Red Pepper and Tomato

Seeds of red pepper and tomato were sowed and cultivated in a soil blended with powdery poly(l-lactide) (PLLA), and poly(butylene succinate) (PBS). PBS depressed the growth of the two plants significantly even at a concentration as low as 5%, whereas PLLA up to 35% affected negligibly or even boosted the growth of the two plants. pH and number of microbial cells in the soil after 80 days of cultivation were almost the same independently whether the soil was blended with the two polymers or not. In contrast, the molecular weight of PBS decreased much faster than that of PLLA. Because succinic acid and 1,4-butane diol, from which PBS was synthesized, exhibited toxicity to both plant and animal cells to retard the germination rate of young radish seeds and to deform the morphology of HeLa cells significantly [1], the monomers and the oligomers produced from the PBS degradation should have a detrimental influence on the growth of the two plants.     

Natural Weathering of Kenaf Bast Fibre-Filled Poly(Butylene Succinate) Composites: Effect of Fibre Loading and Compatibiliser Addition

Natural weathering was performed on poly(butylene succinate) (PBS) and its kenaf bast fibre (KBF) filled composites by exposing the specimens to a tropical climate for a period of 6 months (max–min temperature: 31.5–23.9 °C; relative humidity: 78.9%). The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of KBF loading and the addition of maleated PBS compatibiliser (PBSgMA) on the performance of the composites under natural weathering. As expected, the flexural properties of both the uncompatibilised and compatibilised composites dropped with increasing exposure time. The weathered specimens were also assessed by colour change analysis, FTIR spectroscopy analysis and SEM examination. The total colour change, ΔE _ab , of both the uncompatibilised and compatibilised composites increased with weathering time. FTIR spectroscopy analysis confirmed the presence of oxidation products such as hydroxyl, carbonyl and vinyl species in the weathered uncompatibilised and compatibilised composites. SEM examination revealed the presence of surface defects such as cracking, tiny holes and degraded fibre, which explain the poor performance of the composites upon weathering.     

Radiation Crosslinking of Poly(Butylene Succinate) in the Presence of Inorganic Material and Its Biodegradability

Three kinds of poly(butylene succinate)s (PBS) with different molecular weight were irradiated with electron beams in the presence of inorganic material. Fourteen kinds of inorganic materials were used in this work. The presence of inorganic material inside cross-linked PBS samples enhances the yield of gel formation. The heat stabilities of PBS samples were checked; it was found that silicon dioxide and carbon black significantly improve these properties. Enzymatic and soil burial tests were performed; the presence of these inorganic materials in cross-linked PBS accelerates the rate of biodegradation.     

Effect of Crystalline and Amorphous Structures on Biodegradability of Poly(Tetramethylene Succinate)

The effect of orientation in the amorphous and crystalline regions on the biodegradability of PTMS [poly(tetramethylene succinate)] was studied using the amorphous orientation function, birefringence, and crystallinity. The crystalline and amorphous intrinsic lateral sonic moduli, E _t,c ⁰ and E _t,am ⁰ , were 2.61 × 10³ and 0.41 × 10³ MPa, respectively. Using the data on birefringence, crystalline and amorphous orientation function (f and f _am), crystallinity, and sonic modulus of the oriented PTMS fibers, the intrinsic birefringence of the crystalline ( _c ⁰ ) and amorphous ( _am ⁰ ) regions were evaluated to be 0.0561 and 0.0634, respectively. The biodegradabilities of oriented PTMS films were reduced as the elongation increased, i.e., the amorphous orientation increased. At low elongation (100 and 150%), however, biodegradabilities remained unchanged when the degradation test was performed in activated sludge, which was attributed to the amorphous orientation occurring even at 100% elongation, though the amorphous orientation direction was perpendicular to the fiber axis.     

Biodegradable Polymers from 5-Hydroxylevulinic Acid: 1. Synthesis and Characterization of Poly(5-hydroxylevulinic acid)

As an attempt to synthesize new biodegradable polymers from renewable cellulose resources, melt polycondensation of 5-hydroxylevulinic acid (5-HLA) was reported for the first time. The resulting product, poly(5-hydroxylevulinic acid) (PHLA), was synthesized and characterized with GPC, FTIR, ¹H NMR and DSC. The in vitro degradation behaviors in phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) and in deionized water (DW) were also examined. The molecular weight of PHLA is not high (several 1,000s), but it possesses unordinary high glass transition temperature (as high as 120 °C). This is very different from existing aliphatic polyesters that usually have T _gs lower than 60 °C. The high T _g is attributed to the formation of inter- and/or intramolecular hydrogen bonds due to a characteristic keto–enol tautomerism equilibrium in the polymer structure. PHLA readily degraded hydrolytically in aqueous media.     

Natural Fiber Reinforced Poly(vinyl chloride) Composites: Effect of Fiber Type and Impact Modifier

Poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) and natural fiber composites were prepared by melt compounding and compression molding. The influence of fiber type (i.e., bagasse, rice straw, rice husk, and pine fiber) and loading level of styrene-ethylene-butylene-styrene (SEBS) block copolymer on composite properties was investigated. Mechanical analysis showed that storage modulus and tensile strength increased with fiber loading at the 30% level for all composites, but there was little difference in both properties among the composites from various fiber types. The use of SEBS decreased storage moduli, but enhanced tensile strength of the composites. The addition of fiber impaired impact strength of the composites, and the use of SEBS led to little change of the property for most of the composites. The addition of fiber to PVC matrix increased glass transition temperature (T_g), but lowered degradation temperature (T_d) and thermal activation energy (E_a). After being immersed in water for four weeks, PVC/rice husk composites presented relatively smaller water absorption (WA) and thickness swelling (TS) rate compared with other composites. The results of the study demonstrate that PVC composites filled with agricultural fibers had properties comparable with those of PVC/wood composite.     

Bioabsorbable soy protein plastic composites: Effect of polyphosphate fillers on water absorption and mechanical properties

The use of synthetic and natural bioabsorbable plastics has been severely limited due to their low stiffness and strength properties as well as their strong tendency to absorb moisture. This research focused on the development of bioabsorbable polyphosphate filler/soy protein plastic composites with enhanced stiffness, strength, and water resistance. Bioabsorbable polyphosphate fillers, biodegradable soy protein isolate, plasticizer, and adhesion promoter were homogenized and compression-molded. Physical, mechanical, and water absorption testing was performed on the molded specimens. Results showed improvements in stiffness, strength, and water resistance with increasing polyphosphate filler content up to 20% by weight. Application of a coupling agent produced further mechanical property enhancements and a dramatic improvement in water resistance, interpreted by an interfacial chemical bonding model. Examination of the fracture surfaces of the materials revealed that the addition of the polyphosphate fillers changed the failure mode from brittle to pseudo-ductile. These results suggest that these materials are suitable for many load-bearing applications in both humid and dry environments where current soy protein plastics are not usable.     

Study of Poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) (PHBV)/Bamboo Pulp Fiber Composites: Effects of Nucleation Agent and Compatibilizer

In this study, poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) (PHBV)/bamboo pulp fiber (BPF) composites were prepared by melt compounding and injection molding. The crystallization ability, tensile strength and modulus, flexural strength and modulus, and impact strength were found substantially increased by the addition of BPF. Tensile and flexural elongations were also moderately increased at low fiber contents (<20%). BPF demonstrated not only higher strength and modulus, but also higher failure strain than the PHBV8 matrix. Boron nitride (BN) was also investigated as a nucleation agent for PHBV8 and maleic anhydride grafted PHBV8 (MA-PHBV8) as a compatibilizer for the composite system. BN was found to increase the overall properties of the neat polymer and the composites due to refined crystalline structures. MA-PHBV8 improved polymer/fiber interactions and therefore resulted in increased strength and modulus. However, the toughness of the composites was substantially reduced due to the hindrance to fiber pullout, a major energy dissipation source during the composite deformation.     

The Effect of Nanoclays on the Properties of PLLA-modified Polymers Part 1: Mechanical and Thermal Properties

Organically modified montmorillonite clays were incorporated at a 5% loading level into film grade of poly-L-lactic acid (PLLA) using a variety of masterbatches based on either semi-crystalline or amorphous poly-(lactic acid), as well as biodegradable aromatic aliphatic polyester. The PLLA masterbatches and compounded formulations were prepared using a twin screw compounding extruder, while the films were prepared using a single screw cast film extruder. The thermal and mechanical properties of the films were examined in order to determine the effect of the clay and different carriers on the polymer–clay interactions. In the optimal case, when a PLLA-based masterbatch was used, the tensile modulus increased by 30%, elongation increased by 40%, and the cold crystallization temperature decreased by 15 °C, compared to neat PLLA. The properties improvement of PLLA films containing nano clays demonstrated the possibility to extend the range of biodegradable film applications, especially in the field of packaging.     

Biodegradable Films Based on Blends of Gelatin and Poly (Vinyl Alcohol): Effect of PVA Type or Concentration on Some Physical Properties of Films

The aim of this work was to develop biodegradable films based on blends of gelatin and poly (vinyl alcohol) (PVA), without a plasticizer. Firstly, the effect of five types of PVA with different degree of hydrolysis (DH) on the physical properties of films elaborated with blends containing 23.1% PVA was studied. One PVA type was then chosen for the study of the effect of the PVA concentration on the mechanical properties, color, opacity, gloss, and water solubility of the films. The five types of PVA studied allowed for films with different characteristics, but with no direct relationship with the DH of the PVA. Therefore, the PVA Celvol^®418 with a DH = 91.8% was chosen for the second part, because they produced films with greater tensile strength. The PVA concentration affected all studied properties of films. These results could be explained by the results of the DSC and FTIR analyses, which showed that some interactions between the gelatin and the PVA occurred depending on the PVA concentration, affecting the crystallinity of the films.