Development and characterization of PLA-based green composites

Abstract

With increasing environmental awareness and ecological risk, green composites have gained more and more research attention, as they have the potential to be attractive than the traditional petroleum-based composites which are toxic and nonbiodegradable. Because of their lightweight, friendly processing and acoustic insulation, green composites have been used widely ranging from aerospace sector to household applications. The end-of-life concern with many polymeric composites has also limited their application spectrum. The green composites not only replace the traditional materials such as steel and wood but also challenge certain nonbiodegradable polymer composites. The present research initiative aims at highlighting the issues and challenges in the development and characterization of poly lactic acid-based green composites. A few of these important composites and their mechanical properties (tensile, compressive, flexural, and impact strength) have been reported in this study. The focus is the identification of the possible areas for their novel applications. A study has been conducted to categorize the various types of green composites on the basis of their physical, chemical, and mechanical characteristics.

New environmentally friendly composite laminates with epoxidized linseed oil (ELO) and slate fiber fabrics

“…Despite this, the increasing concern about environment preservation and the problematic related to petroleum depletion has led to the development and study of new materials from renewable resources with the aim of lightening the carbon footprint [22][23][24][25]. Among the wide variety of potential bioresources for polymers, vegetable oils (VOs) are gaining interest; VOs composition is based on triglyceride structures which are composed of three different fatty acids linked to a glycerol base molecule.…”

Development and Characterization of Green Composites: A Review

“…A rich application of plant fibers are in Mercedes-Benz E-class. Most of the parts of the car like center console and trim, various damping and insulating parts, seat cushion parts and door trim panels are made from plant fiber composites [5]. Table 2 shows the automotive parts produced from natural fibers.…”

“…The interface determines the reinforcement efficiency of a composite since string bond between matrix and disperse phase is essential. Figure 1: Constituents of green composites [5] Interface between the matrix and reinforcement plays an important role in determining the properties of composite materials. For the better properties, the wettability between the matrix and reinforcement should be proper.…”

“…Many researchers are interested in some biodegradable polymers such as poly lactic acid (PLA), poly butylene succinate (PBS) and poly(e-carprolactone). [4][5][6][7][8]. PBS has better toughness and elongation as compare to PLA, but the mechanical and thermal properties are not better as compared to PLA.…”

“…PBS has better toughness and elongation as compare to PLA, but the mechanical and thermal properties are not better as compared to PLA. Most of the natural fibers used for reinforcement of a polymer matrix in bio composite systems have been plant based or cellulose based natural fibers such as kenaf, jute, hemp, flax, bamboo etc [5][6][7]. Animal fibers such as worm silk and wool have better mechanical and elastic properties and relatively uniform topography as compare to plant based natural fibers [9].…”