Morphological, Rheological and Mechanical Properties of Pla-Typha Based Biocomposites

Abstract

Due to the demand from society for the consumption of ecological polymeric materials, one of the polymers that have satisfied this request is the poly (lactic acid) (PLA). This polymer is derived from renewable resources, it is recyclable and biodegradable. It presents a good understanding between the promising properties and the cost. However, a route to increase the mechanical properties and reduce the cost of PLA is the elaboration of PLA based biocomposites by using fillers from natural waste. In this work, The effect of Typha content on the morphological, rheological, thermal and mechanical properties of PLA matrix was studied. Four formulations were produced with different mass concentrations. The results showed an increase in the viscoelastic properties, as a function of the Typha stem powder concentration. The DSC analysis showed an increase in the crystallinity rate of the various composites confirming the nucleating effect provided by the filler. TGA analysis indicated a decrease in the decomposition temperature of the composites. Mechanical tensile tests have shown a significant improvement in the mechanical properties mainly for the samples containing 45% (w/w) of Typha powder.