FABRICATION AND THERMO-MECHANICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF PHBV/LATEX/VEGETABLE OIL COMPOSITES-MODIFYING ON BIOCOMPOSITES

Polyhydroxybutyrate-co-hydroxyvalerate (PHBV, P) and natural latex (L) are mixed together to improve biostructures due to very stiff PHBV and high resilient natural latex. Another raw material added in PHBV/L mixtures is a vegetable oil which is vary between virgin coconut oil (VC) and cooking coconut oil (CC). Then, the three mixtures are known for P-L-C biocomposites. These three different components among PHBV, natural latex, and the coconut oil are considered to obtain their proper mechanical properties. The 2% and 3% (w/v) of PHBV concentrations (2P, 3P) in chloroform are started as the main component, and mixed to natural latex (L) and coconut oil (VC or CC) as the blended films in the ratio of 12:8:1, 10:10:1, 8:12:1, and compared to 6:4:1, 5:5:1, 4:6:1, respectively. The blends are specified the thermal property by the differential scanning calorimetry and also distinguished with their crystallinity. Besides, they are also characterized the tensile strength by universal testing machine. The degree of crystallinity is inversely proportional to the melting temperature particularly for 3Px-Lx-C1. The 3% w/v of PHBV-Latex-Coconut oil blends presents higher melting temperature than the 2% w/v of PHBV-Latex-Coconut oil mixtures. Adding coconut oil mixes show a lower melting temperature at 166-167oC when is compared to the mixture without coconut oil at 168-169oC. The virgin coconut oil mixes specify no inconsistency of the melting temperature, enthalpy, and degree of crystallinity. The addition of the coconut oil can diminish the 50% of tensile strength and the 6-7% of tensile modulus. The cooking coconut oil added in the 2% w/v PHBV-Latex matrix affects a 10% increase in tensile modulus related to the 3% w/v PHBV-Latex matrix. The appearance of the coconut oil in the blend is suitable for conformity of plastic deformation.