Physical and rheological properties of biodegradable poly(butylene succinate)/Alfa fiber composites

Abstract

Biodegradable poly(butylene succinate) (PBS)/Alfa fiber biocomposites were prepared through the compression molding method. Scanning electron microscopy images were acquired to assess the effects of reinforcement and homogenization of mixtures and to determine the characteristics of the microstructure. The rheological properties, melting, and crystallization behavior of neat PBS and its biocomposites were investigated. Regarding the thermal properties, it was observed that the presence of Alfa fibers facilitates the crystallization of the PBS matrix, which suggests that Alfa cellulose fiber acts as a nucleating agent. The rheological analysis suggests that the biocomposites show a better dynamic behavior with the addition of Alfa fibers. Indeed, the incorporation of fibers increased the complex modulus and complex viscosity of the composites. Also, increasing the percentage of fibers in the matrix induces percolation, the shift and change in the slope of Cole–Cole curve of the PBS/Alfa fiber composite compared to that of neat PBS indicate that the PBS microstructure has changed with the addition of fibers. Moreover, the improvement of biocomposites properties is believed to be largely attributable to the homogeneous dispersion of the Alfa fibers within the polymer matrix and also to the strong interfacial interactions between the two constituents.

Compostos de biopolietileno/línter de algodão compatibilizados com PE-g-MA

“…Atualmente, há um grande crescimento na procura por materiais compósitos que utilizam fibras naturais, visto que são menos poluentes, em comparação com as fibras sintéticas (Marinho et al, 2018;Ferreira et al, 2019;Arabeche et al, 2020). O interesse no uso de fibras naturais como reforço de materiais compósitos está em constante ascensão, principalmente por causa das múltiplas vantagens associadas: são naturais, renováveis e atóxicas, são de fácil disponibilidade, apresentam baixa densidade, são biodegradáveis, apresentam custo baixo, alta rigidez e, ao mesmo tempo, são menos abrasivas (Jesus et al, 2019;Kotik, 2019;Padilha e Zard, 2010).…”

Integrity and cost evaluation of natural fibers/HDPE composite tailored for piping applications

“…where M p ¼ mass of pipe, L p ¼ length of pipe, r p ¼ density of pipe, t ¼ thickness of pipe, D i ¼ inside diameter of pipe, D O ¼ outside diameter of pipe. From the equation (18), it is obvious that the pipeline thickness has a significant impact on the weight of material. Consequently, for high-pressure gas transmission lines, designers may spend more money to use a high grade of pipe.…”

“…[15][16][17] Recently, researchers have examined various applications of natural fiber reinforced thermoplastics. For instance, physical and rheological properties of biodegradable composites, 18 application of eco-friendly composite materials in automotive industries, 19 non-structural facilities, 20 and biomedical, energy and sports. 21 Other recent studies on natural fibers and natural fiber reinforced plastics are well documented.…”

On recyclability of thermosetting polymer and wood dust as reinforcement in secondary recycled ABS for nonstructural engineering applications

“…31 Some authors investigated that addition of cellulose fibers in biodegradable poly (butylene succinate) can enhance the thermal properties of the composite for engineering applications. 32 Kumar et al studied thermal and magnetic behavior of four different filaments, namely PLA with wood powder, PLA with polyvinyl chloride, PLA with Fe 3 O 4 , and virgin PLA, for multi-material 3D printing. The authors observed drastic improvement in mechanical properties with the addition of Fe 3 O 4 as compared with other reinforcements.…”

“…31 Some authors investigated that addition of cellulose fibers in biodegradable poly (butylene succinate) can enhance the thermal properties of the composite for engineering applications. 32…”