Study on the structure and properties of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-4-hydroxybutyrate)/ rubber wood fiber composites modified with titanate coupling agent

In this study, the biodegradable composites were prepared from rubber wood fibers (Hevea brasiliensis) and biopolymer poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-4-hydroxybutyrate) (P34HB) via hot pressing process, using the titanate as the coupling agent. The morphological, chemical structure, mechanical properties and water absorption (WA) of the composites were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), mechanical properties and WA analysis. Results showed that a new absorption peak of Ti-O-C was formed due to the addition of titanate, indicating that it was successfully grafted on the surface of wood fibers. In addition, the mechanical properties of the composites first increased and then decreased with the increasing of the titanate content. The obvious improvement of WA of composites was attributed to the inclusion of P34HB by titanate modified wood fiber. Moreover, it was also found that the optimal condition of the titanate coupling agent content was 1 wt%.