Preparation and Characterization of Sol-Gel-Modified Plant Fiber/Polylactic acid Composites

• Main Authors: Ren-Hong Huang, 黃仁宏
• Other Authors: Yeng-Fong Shih
• Format: Others
• Language: zh-TW
• Published: 2013
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/13612891426110305581

碩士 === 朝陽科技大學 === 應用化學系碩士班 === 101 === In this study, the fibers generated from agricultural waste - pineapple leaf were obtained through exposure, drying, crushing and sifting. Moreover, a novel synthesis was utilized to prepare a series of sol - gel method modified pineapple leaf fiber (PALF) / polylactic acid (PLA) composite. First, the surface of the fiber was covered with a layer of SiO2 via sol - gel method to enhance the rigidity and heat resistance of the fiber. Furthermore, the interfacial compatibility between fiber and PLA was improved by the surface treatment of a silane coupling agent. Finally, a series of high-performance and sol - gel method modified PALF / PLA composites were prepared by melt-blending. The results reveal that the modification of PALF can improve the interface compatibility between the PLA acid and PALF, so the mechanical properties and thermal properties of the composite material were improved effectively. The heat deflection temperature (HDT) test showed an increase of approximately 43.9% for PLA by adding 10% of fiber. In addition, the tensile and impact strengths of pristine PLA were increased about 10.71% and 28.20%, respectively, when the composite material reinforced with 5% of fibers. SEM analysis showed that the compatibility between the untreated fiber and PLA matrix is poor, as evidenced by the presence of pull-out fiber and voids on the fracture surface. On the other hand, the compatibility between fiber and PLA matrix is improved when the fiber is treated by silane coupling agents. Apart from the enhancement of mechanical properties and thermal stability, the incorporation of sol - gel modified PALF can reduce the production cost of the materials, reduce the agricultural waste, and meet the demand of environmental protection.