Influence of Silane Treatment on Properties of Poly(lactic acid)/Wood Flour Bio-composites

摘要

Introduction During the last decade, with the increasing environmental awareness and new regulations, eco-friendly, biodegradable natural-flours and -fibers have been recognized to substitute for glass fibers as the reinforcement in the commercial plastic industry to produce bio-composite materials. The natural fillers have several advantages compared to synthetic materials: low cost, low density, low-energy manufacture (low CO2 emission), renewable and biodegradability. Poly(lactic acid) (PLA) is a versatile polymer made from renewable agricultural raw materials, which arc fermented to lactic acid. However, the notable shortcoming of bio-composites was the low compatibility and poor interfacial adhesion between the hydrophilic character of the polar bio-filler and hydrophobic character of the non-polar matrix polymer. The aim of this research was to investigate the effect of silane treated WF on the bio-composites.