A purpose of this research was to investigate a potential of two differently modified cellulosic fibers for applying as reinforcing fillers in polylactic acid (PLA) and modified epoxidized rubber (ENR) base of biocomposites. Coupling agents including 3-(trimethoxysilyl) propyl methacrylate and (3-aminopropyl) trimethoxysilane were used in order to modify cellulosic fibers. These fibers were compounded with PLA-modified ENR (modified by bisphenol A diglycidyl ether) in an internal mixer and fabricated to composite sheets using a compression molding, respectively. The formulations of biocomposites were designed by weight ratio of PLA (85%): modified ENR (5%): the cellulosic fiber (10%). Accordance with the results of mechanical property analysis of their biocomposites, the modifications of cellulosic fibers with both silane types significantly improved flexural, hardness and impact properties of PLA-modified ENR based biocomposites. However, the methacrylate-silane modified cellulosic fiber provided the greatest increase in flexural properties while the amino-silane modified cellulosic fiber resulting in the highest value of hardness and impact resistance of all biocomposites. Oil absorption test of biocomposites was also investigated in this research in order to evaluate its possibility to use under oily environment. After 168 hours of experiment, the amino-silane modified composite exhibited the highest oil absorption among all materials. This result indicated the most improvement of hydrophobicity of modified cellulosic fiber by (3-aminopropyl) trimethoxysilane.
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