Polylactic Acid (PLA) Reinforced with Date Palm Sheath Fiber Bio-Composites: Evaluation of Fiber Density, Geometry, and Content on the Physical and Mechanical Properties

Abstract

Copyright © 2022 The Author(s). Significant interest for utilizing and processing natural fibers (NF) to develop sustainable and fully biodegradable composites evolved as the global environmental concerns upsurge. Date palm tree (DPT) accounts for more than 2.8 million tons of waste annually, making it the most abundant agricultural biomass waste in the MENA region. This study investigates the effect of date palm fiber (DPF) density, diameter size and content on both the mechanical and physical properties of polylactic acid (PLA) reinforced DPF bio-composite. The bio-composites are developed using melt-mixing technique which is followed by compression molding. The influence of the mechanical properties is investigated by evaluating the tensile, flexural and impact strengths. Meanwhile bio-composite thickness swelling (TS), moisture content (MC) and water absorption (WA) characteristics are evaluated. Bio-composite microstructures are examined using SEM to investigate the interfacial bonding between PLA matrix and DPF. Results showed that at 40 wt.% DPF, the TS, MC, and WA were the highest demonstrating an increase of 4.10%, 4.95%, and 8.22%, respectively. Although the results demonstrated a decrease in mechanical properties as DPF content increased (depending on DPF geometry), the results indicate that the developed technologies could be commercialized under the waste management scheme for non-structural applications. 摘要 随着全球环境问题的加剧，人们对利用和加工天然纤维（NF）开发可持续和完全生物降解的复合材料产生了极大的兴趣. 椰枣树（DPT）每年产生280多万吨废弃物，是中东和北非地区最丰富的农业生物质废弃物. 本研究研究了椰枣纤维（DPF）密度、直径大小和含量对聚乳酸（PLA）增强DPF生物复合材料力学和物理性能的影响. 生物复合材料是使用熔融混合技术开发的，然后是压缩成型. 通过评估拉伸、弯曲和冲击强度来研究力学性能的影响. 同时，评估了生物复合材料的厚度膨胀（TS）、水分含量（MC）和吸水率（WA）特性. 使用SEM检查生物复合材料微观结构，以研究PLA基质和DPF之间的界面结合. 结果表明，在40重量%的DPF下，TS、MC和WA最高，分别增加了4.10%、4.95%和8.22%. 尽管结果表明，随着DPF含量的增加（取决于DPF的几何形状），机械性能有所下降，但结果表明，开发的技术可以在非结构应用的废物管理计划下商业化.