Green Processing Route for Polylactic Acid–Cellulose Fiber Biocomposites

Abstract

A completely green approach was adopted for the production of biocomposites of polylactic acid (PLA) and cellulosic fibers (CF) via functionalization of CF with an aqueous solution of poly­(ethylene oxide) (PEO) followed by extrusion with PLA and injection molding. The treatment with PEO improved the interfacial interaction among the components as well as the CF dispersion and free flow upon extrusion, allowing loading up to 30 wt % of CF. Moreover, the synergistic effect of PEO and CF greatly enhanced the physical–chemical properties of the biocomposites. Their storage modulus was higher with respect to pure PLA in the rubbery region. The stiffness and mechanical strength were found to be higher than those of PLA/PEO and remained comparable to pure PLA, whereas the elongation at break was 73–143% higher owing to the effective plasticizing and reinforcing effect exerted by PEO and CF respectively. Addition of PEO and CF had a great influence on the thermal properties, particularly on the glass transition and cold crystallization temperatures. Overall, the appealing properties of the proposed biocomposites combined with the sustainability of the developed process render them ideal for several technological applications within the plastic industry including food and cosmetic packaging, disposable items, and toys.

A state-of-the-art review on coir fiber-reinforced biocomposites

“…However, the biocomposite production from natural ber reinforcement depends on various factors like interfacial ber to matrix adhesions, length and contents of ber, treatments of bers, and the dispersions of polymers into the ber structure. In this regard, researchers are becoming more interested in biocomposite manufacturing research 4,[32][33][34][35][36][37] and so coir ber-reinforced composites [38][39][40] are also getting signicant consideration. Different researchers have reported promising results on developed coir ber-reinforced biocomposites from different perspectives (thermal, mechanical, morphological, and so on).…”

Effect of dicumyl peroxide on biodegradable poly(lactic acid)/functionalized gum arabic based films

“…As noticed on Figure 6(a), ultimate tensile strength (UTS) and elongation at break ( ε b ) of neat PLA film were estimated as 48.1 ± 2.3 MPa and 8.6 ± 1.1%, respectively. In case of PLA/1 F G, it can be seen that no significant change in value of UTS (50.2 ± 1.1 MPa) while the ε b ( 11.7 ± 1.6%) is slightly enhanced, as compared to PLA, suggesting that the F G plasticizes the PLA matrix, making it flexible 32 . Moreover, incorporating 3 wt% F G to the PLA matrix, reduction in UTS (44.2 ± 2.4 MPa) and ε b (9.6 ± 0.9%) is observed, as compared to PLA/1 F G film.…”

Properties of polyacrylamide composites reinforced by cellulose nanocrystals

“…By virtue of their highly hydrophilic behaviour, CNCs may not be uniformly distributed in a hydrophobic polymer matrix, resulting in poor interfacial adhesion and agglomeration, and poor final properties of the bio-composites. In this respect, the use of an amphiphilic compatibiliser, such as PAM, can overcome these problems due to its water solubility, nontoxicity, biodegradability, and biocompatibility ( Singh et al., 2020 ). The specific application of such a system could include effective production methods of polymer composites with high CNC content, with further applicability in the plastic industry (cutlery, disposable containers, packaging, and so on).…”