Large‐scale preparation of jute‐fiber‐reinforced starch‐based composites with high mechanical strength and optimized biodegradability
2017
Wang, Peilei | Chen, Fangping | Zhang, He | Meng, Wei | Sun, Yuhan | Liu, Changsheng
To prepare biodegradable composites suitable for short‐life applications, large‐scale production of thermoplastic starch (TPS)‐based composites reinforced with jute fiber (JF) was performed in a twin‐screw extruder. The effect of JF content on the properties of starch‐based composites was investigated. The results showed the tensile strength of the composites increased sharply with the increase of JF content. The reinforcement effectiveness of JF in the composites improved with the decrease of relative humidity (RH). Due to the synergy of the similarity in chemical structure and the uniform dispersion of JF in the starch matrix induced by the strong shear mixing, good interfacial adhesion was observed between the starch matrix and the fibers. When the content of JF increased to 15 wt%, the crystallinity and the thermal stability of the composites obviously improved. The results also indicated that the stiffness of the composites increased, while the water absorption reduced with the increase of the JF content. The addition of JF increased the degradation period of the composites due to the slower degradation rate of JF as compared to pure TPS. JF‐reinforced starch‐based composites with high mechanical strength and optimized biodegradability will serve as competitive eco‐friendly “green” materials for various applications.
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