Plant-Based Biocomposites of Poly (lactic acid)/Rice Straw/Soybean Oil: Effect of Eco-friendly Boric Acid Pulping and Compatibilization on Properties

This study investigates the effects of the eco-friendly boric acid pulping method on rice straw (RS) fibers for the fabrication of biodegradable poly (lactic acid) (PLA) biocomposites. RS fibers, an agri-cultural waste, were utilized as the reinforcement agent in the PLA matrix without and with boric acid treatment. The RS pulp fibers (BR) were melt-compounded with PLA in the presence or absence of soybean oil (S) and epoxidized soybean oil (ES) using an internal mixer. Biocomposite samples were prepared by compression molding, and their impact properties were evaluated. The results show that the reactive ES additive acts as chain extender and reactive compatibilizer in virgin PLA and PLA/BR biocomposite, respectively. These roles lead to an increment in the impact strength of samples.

کلیدواژه ها:

Natural fibres ، Eco-friendly pulping ، Poly (lactic acid) ، Biocomposite