Yıldırım Rumeysa, Karakaya Nursel, Liebau Bas, Welten Tim, Bayram Beyza, Kodal Mehmet, Özkoç Güralp
Department of Chemical Engineering, Kocaeli University, Kocaeli 41001, Türkiye.
Xplore Instruments B.V., 6135 KT Sittard, The Netherlands.
Polymers (Basel). 2025 Jun 11;17(12):1618. doi: 10.3390/polym17121618.
This study explores the development of long fiber-reinforced thermoplastic (LFT) composites based on blends of poly(lactic acid) (PLA) and polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA), reinforced with sisal fibers. A novel lab-scale LFT line was employed to fabricate the long fiber composites, effectively addressing the challenges associated with dispersing and processing high-aspect-ratio natural fibers. The rheological, mechanical, thermal, and morphological properties of the resulting bio-LFT composites were systematically characterized using FTIR, SEM, rotational rheology, mechanical testing, DSC, and TGA. The results demonstrated generally homogeneous fiber dispersion, although limited interfacial adhesion between the fibers and polymer matrix was observed. Mechanical tests revealed that sisal fiber incorporation significantly enhanced tensile strength and stiffness, while impact toughness decreased. Thermal analyses showed improved crystallinity and thermal stability with increasing PHA content and fiber reinforcement. Overall, this work highlights the potential of natural fibers to create high-performance, sustainable biocomposites and lays a solid foundation for future advancements in developing eco-friendly structural materials.
本研究探索了基于聚乳酸（PLA）和聚羟基脂肪酸酯（PHA）共混物、并用剑麻纤维增强的长纤维增强热塑性（LFT）复合材料的开发。采用了一种新型实验室规模的LFT生产线来制造长纤维复合材料，有效解决了与分散和加工高长径比天然纤维相关的挑战。使用傅里叶变换红外光谱（FTIR）、扫描电子显微镜（SEM）、旋转流变学、力学测试、差示扫描量热法（DSC）和热重分析法（TGA）对所得生物LFT复合材料的流变、力学、热和形态性能进行了系统表征。结果表明纤维分散总体均匀，不过观察到纤维与聚合物基体之间的界面粘合有限。力学测试表明，加入剑麻纤维显著提高了拉伸强度和刚度，但冲击韧性下降。热分析表明，随着PHA含量和纤维增强的增加，结晶度和热稳定性得到改善。总体而言，这项工作突出了天然纤维制造高性能、可持续生物复合材料的潜力，并为未来开发环保结构材料的进展奠定了坚实基础。
