Environmentally Friendly Pulping and Compatibilization Strategies forImproved Performance of All-green PLA/Agricultural Waste Biocomposites

In this study, lignocellulosic fibers of rice straw (RS) were utilized as a reinforcement agent in thepoly(lactic acid) matrix. To improve the PLA/RS biocomposite performance, an environmentallyfriendly pulping method and a bio-based reactive compatibilizer were applied. The RS fibers weretreated with a borax solution. Subsequently, the RS pulp was melt-compounded with PLA in thepresence of soybean oil (S) and epoxidized soybean oil (ES) as a plasticizer and reactivecompatibilizer, respectively. All-green biodegradable biocomposites were then fabricated using aco-rotating twin-screw extruder and compression molding. Morphological observations verified thatthe borax solution method has been successful in removing the non-cellulosic components of RS.The mechanical test results demonstrated about ۸۰% improvement in the impact strength of PLA/RSbiocomposite by applying borax treatment and ES reactive compatibilizer

کلیدواژه ها:

Biocomposite ، Eco-friendly pulping ، Lignocellulosic fibers ، Poly(lactic acid)