High-Strength Polylactic Acid (PLA) Biocomposites Reinforced by Epoxy-Modified Pine Fibers

Zhao, Xianhui; Li, Kai; Wang, Yu; Tekinalp, Halil; Larsen, Greg; Rasmussen, Daniel; Ginder, Ryan; Wang, Lu; Gardner, Douglas; Tajvidi, Mehdi; Webb, Erin; Ozcan, Soydan

doi:10.1021/acssuschemeng.0c03463

High-Strength Polylactic Acid (PLA) Biocomposites Reinforced by Epoxy-Modified Pine Fibers

Journal Article · Sun Jul 19 00:00:00 EDT 2020 · ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1021/acssuschemeng.0c03463· OSTI ID:1651324

Zhao, Xianhui ^[1]; Li, Kai ^[2]; Wang, Yu ^[2]; Tekinalp, Halil ^[3]; Larsen, Greg ^[3]; Rasmussen, Daniel ^[4]; Ginder, Ryan ^[5]; Wang, Lu ^[6]; Gardner, Douglas ^[7]; Tajvidi, Mehdi ^[6]; ^[2]; ^[8]

Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States). Manufacturing Demonstration Facility (MDF)
Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States). Manufacturing Demonstration Facility (MDF)
Pellissippi State Community College, Knoxville, TN (United States)
Univ. of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN (United States)
Univ. of Maine, Orono, ME (United States); Univ. of Maine, Orono, ME (United States). Advanced Structures and Composites Center
Univ. of Maine, Orono, ME (United States)
Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States). Manufacturing Demonstration Facility (MDF); Univ. of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN (United States)

The stiffness and tensile strength of biopolymers (e.g., polylactic acid (PLA)) are less than desirable for load-bearing applications in their neat form. The use of natural fibers as reinforcements for composites (for large-scale three-dimensional (3D) printing) has expanded rapidly, attributable to their low weight, low cost, high stiffness, and renewable nature. Silane and acid/alkali are typically used to modify the surface of natural fibers to improve the fiber/polymer interfacial adhesion. In this study, a simple method of impregnation was developed to modify pine fibers (loblolly, mesh size of 90–180 μm, 30 wt %) with a solvent-borne epoxy to reinforce PLA. As a benefit of the epoxy modification (0.5–10 wt %), the tensile strengths and Young’s moduli of the epoxy-modified pine/PLA composites increased by up to 20 and 82%, respectively, as compared to that of neat PLA. Furthermore, the epoxy-modified pine/PLA composites, with an optimum epoxy modification (1.0 wt %), had fewer voids on the fracture surface as compared with pine/PLA composites without the modification of pine fibers via epoxy. Finally, results confirmed that epoxy partially penetrated the pore/hollow inner structures of pine fibers and improved the fiber/matrix interfacial adhesion. Epoxy modification is found to be a simple and effective technique to improve the properties of biocomposites.

View Accepted Manuscript (DOE)

Research Organization:: Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)

Sponsoring Organization:: USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE)

Grant/Contract Number:: AC05-00OR22725

OSTI ID:: 1651324

Journal Information:: ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering, Journal Name: ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering Journal Issue: 35 Vol. 8; ISSN 2168-0485

Publisher:: American Chemical Society (ACS)Copyright Statement

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

References (38)

Recent advances in bio-based epoxy resins and bio-based epoxy curing agents Baroncini, Elyse A.; Kumar Yadav, Santosh; Palmese, Giuseppe R. Journal of Applied Polymer Science, Vol. 133, Issue 45 https://doi.org/10.1002/app.44103	journal	July 2016
Preparation of cardanol based epoxy plasticizer by click chemistry and its action on poly(vinyl chloride) Yao, Leilei; Chen, Qinhui; Xu, Wenqin Journal of Applied Polymer Science, Vol. 134, Issue 23 https://doi.org/10.1002/app.44890	journal	February 2017
Effect of polyethylene glycol on mechanical properties of bamboo fiber‐reinforced polylactic acid composites Long, Haibo; Wu, Zhiqiang; Dong, Qianqian Journal of Applied Polymer Science, Vol. 136, Issue 26 https://doi.org/10.1002/app.47709	journal	March 2019
Poplar as a feedstock for biofuels: A review of compositional characteristics Sannigrahi, Poulomi; Ragauskas, Arthur J.; Tuskan, Gerald A. Biofuels, Bioproducts and Biorefining, Vol. 4, Issue 2 https://doi.org/10.1002/bbb.206	journal	March 2010
Comparison between polyethylene glycol and tributyl citrate to modify the properties of wood fiber/polylactic acid biocomposites Yang, Zhaozhe; Bi, Hongjie; Bi, Yongbao Polymer Composites, Vol. 40, Issue 4 https://doi.org/10.1002/pc.24872	journal	April 2018
Biodegradation of starch/polylactic acid/poly(hydroxyester-ether) composite bars in soil Shogren, R. L.; Doane, W. M.; Garlotta, D. Polymer Degradation and Stability, Vol. 79, Issue 3 https://doi.org/10.1016/S0141-3910(02)00356-7	journal	March 2003
Effect of graphene oxide addition on the interlaminar shear property of carbon fiber-reinforced epoxy composites Han, Xiao; Zhao, Yan; Sun, Jian-ming New Carbon Materials, Vol. 32, Issue 1 https://doi.org/10.1016/S1872-5805(17)60107-0	journal	February 2017
Effect of surface treatment of cellulose fiber (CF) on durability of PLA/CF bio-composites Kyutoku, Hirofumi; Maeda, Nanaka; Sakamoto, Hiroki Carbohydrate Polymers, Vol. 203 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.carbpol.2018.09.033	journal	January 2019
Development of PLA/cellulosic fiber composite foams using injection molding: Crystallization and foaming behaviors Ding, WeiDan; Jahani, Davoud; Chang, Eunse Composites Part A: Applied Science and Manufacturing, Vol. 83 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compositesa.2015.10.003	journal	April 2016
Towards a good interphase between bleached kraft softwood fibers and poly(lactic) acid Granda, L. A.; Espinach, F. X.; Tarrés, Q. Composites Part B: Engineering, Vol. 99 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compositesb.2016.05.008	journal	August 2016
The effect of treatment on kenaf fiber using green approach and their reinforced epoxy composites Krishna, K. Venkata; Kanny, K. Composites Part B: Engineering, Vol. 104 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compositesb.2016.08.010	journal	November 2016
High modulus biocomposites via additive manufacturing: Cellulose nanofibril networks as “microsponges” Tekinalp, Halil L.; Meng, Xiangtao; Lu, Yuan Composites Part B: Engineering, Vol. 173 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compositesb.2019.05.028	journal	September 2019
Regulating tannic acid-crosslinked epoxidized soybean oil oligomers for strengthening and toughening bamboo fibers-reinforced poly(lactic acid) biocomposites Liu, Wendi; Qiu, Jianhui; Chen, Tingting Composites Science and Technology, Vol. 181 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compscitech.2019.107709	journal	September 2019
Mechanical Property of Surface Modified Natural Fiber Reinforced PLA Biocomposites Sujaritjun, Wassamon; Uawongsuwan, Putinun; Pivsa-Art, Weraporn Energy Procedia, Vol. 34 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.egypro.2013.06.798	journal	January 2013
Water–soluble extracts from banana pseudo–stem as functional additives for polylactic acid: Thermal and mechanical investigations Sango, Thomas; Stoclet, Gregory; Joly, Nicolas European Polymer Journal, Vol. 112 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eurpolymj.2019.01.009	journal	March 2019
Thermal and dynamic mechanical properties of cellulose nanofibers reinforced epoxy composites Saba, N.; Safwan, Ahmad; Sanyang, M. L. International Journal of Biological Macromolecules, Vol. 102 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2017.04.074	journal	September 2017
The role of lignin on the mechanical performance of polylactic acid and jute composites Delgado-Aguilar, Marc; Oliver-Ortega, Helena; Alberto Méndez, J. International Journal of Biological Macromolecules, Vol. 116 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2018.04.124	journal	September 2018
Parallel advances in improving mechanical properties and accelerating degradation to polylactic acid Wan, Lu; Zhou, Shuai; Zhang, Yanhua International Journal of Biological Macromolecules, Vol. 125 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2018.12.148	journal	March 2019
Processing and Characterization of Banana Fiber/Epoxy Composites: Effect of Alkaline Treatment Bakri, Muhammad Khusairy Bin; Jayamani, Elammaran; Hamdan, Sinin Materials Today: Proceedings, Vol. 4, Issue 2 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.matpr.2017.02.167	journal	January 2017
Characterization of tanalith E treated wood flour filled polylactic acid composites Dalu, Mohammed; Temiz, Ali; Altuntaş, Ertuğrul Polymer Testing, Vol. 76 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.polymertesting.2019.03.037	journal	July 2019
Multifunctional nanostructured PLA materials for packaging and tissue engineering Armentano, I.; Bitinis, N.; Fortunati, E. Progress in Polymer Science, Vol. 38, Issue 10-11 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.progpolymsci.2013.05.010	journal	October 2013
Recent advances in vegetable oil-based polymers and their composites Zhang, Chaoqun; Garrison, Thomas F.; Madbouly, Samy A. Progress in Polymer Science, Vol. 71 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.progpolymsci.2016.12.009	journal	August 2017
Porous graphitic biocarbon and reclaimed carbon fiber derived environmentally benign lightweight composites Gezahegn, Sossina; Lai, Runshen; Huang, Liulian Science of The Total Environment, Vol. 664 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.01.408	journal	May 2019
Toughening by Nanodroplets: Polymer–Droplet Biocomposite with Anomalous Toughness Wang, Yu; Li, Kai; Zhao, Xianhui Macromolecules, Vol. 53, Issue 11 https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.macromol.9b02677	journal	April 2020
Poplar as Biofiber Reinforcement in Composites for Large-Scale 3D Printing Zhao, Xianhui; Tekinalp, Halil; Meng, Xianzhi ACS Applied Bio Materials, Vol. 2, Issue 10 https://doi.org/10.1021/acsabm.9b00675	journal	August 2019
Poly(lactic acid) Toughening through Chain End Engineering Li, Kai; Wang, Yu; Rowe, Matthew ACS Applied Polymer Materials, Vol. 2, Issue 2 https://doi.org/10.1021/acsapm.9b00888	journal	December 2019
Synthesis, Characterization, and Utilization of a Lignin-Based Adsorbent for Effective Removal of Azo Dye from Aqueous Solution Meng, Xianzhi; Scheidemantle, Brent; Li, Mi ACS Omega, Vol. 5, Issue 6 https://doi.org/10.1021/acsomega.9b03717	journal	February 2020
Supertough PLA-Silane Nanohybrids by in Situ Condensation and Grafting Meng, Xiangtao; Nguyen, Ngoc A.; Tekinalp, Halil ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering, Vol. 6, Issue 1 https://doi.org/10.1021/acssuschemeng.7b03650	journal	November 2017
Strong and Tough Cellulose Nanofibrils Composite Films: Mechanism of Synergetic Effect of Hydrogen Bonds and Ionic Interactions Li, Kai; Skolrood, Lydia N.; Aytug, Tolga ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering, Vol. 7, Issue 17 https://doi.org/10.1021/acssuschemeng.9b03442	journal	August 2019
A cellulose nanocrystal-based composite electrolyte with superior dimensional stability for alkaline fuel cell membranes Lu, Yuan; Armentrout, Aaron A.; Li, Juchuan Journal of Materials Chemistry A, Vol. 3, Issue 25 https://doi.org/10.1039/C5TA02304A	journal	January 2015
Reaction mechanism, cure behavior and properties of a multifunctional epoxy resin, TGDDM, with latent curing agent dicyandiamide Wu, Feng; Zhou, Xingping; Yu, Xinhai RSC Advances, Vol. 8, Issue 15 https://doi.org/10.1039/C7RA13233F	journal	January 2018
The structure and mechanical properties of composite materials Cooper, G. A. Reviews of Physics in Technology, Vol. 2, Issue 2 https://doi.org/10.1088/0034-6683/2/2/I01	journal	July 1971
A study of the mechanism of curing of the dicyandiamide-epoxydiane oligomer system in the presence of asymmetrical urea Chursova, L. V.; Tkachuk, A. I.; Panina, N. N. Polymer Science Series D, Vol. 8, Issue 2 https://doi.org/10.1134/S1995421215020057	journal	April 2015
Comparison of injection moulded, natural fibre-reinforced composites with PP and PLA as matrices Mofokeng, J. P.; Luyt, A. S.; Tábi, T. Journal of Thermoplastic Composite Materials, Vol. 25, Issue 8 https://doi.org/10.1177/0892705711423291	journal	July 2011
Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum) Intercropping within Managed Loblolly Pine (Pinus taeda) Does Not Affect Wild Bee Communities Campbell, Joshua; Miller, Darren; Martin, James Insects, Vol. 7, Issue 4 https://doi.org/10.3390/insects7040062	journal	November 2016
Development and Application of Wood Flour-Filled Polylactic Acid Composite Filament for 3D Printing Tao, Yubo; Wang, Honglei; Li, Zelong Materials, Vol. 10, Issue 4 https://doi.org/10.3390/ma10040339	journal	March 2017
Effect of MAH-g-PLA on the Properties of Wood Fiber/Polylactic Acid Composites Zhang, Lei; Lv, Shanshan; Sun, Ce Polymers, Vol. 9, Issue 11 https://doi.org/10.3390/polym9110591	journal	November 2017
Effect of seedling stock on the early stand development and physiology of improved loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.) seedlings Sharma, S.; Adams, Jp; Schuler, Jl iForest - Biogeosciences and Forestry, Vol. 9, Issue 5 https://doi.org/10.3832/ifor1725-009	journal	January 2016

Similar Records

Polylactic Acid (PLA) Biocomposites Filled with Waste Leather Buff (WLB)

Journal Article · Thu Dec 14 23:00:00 EST 2017 · Journal of Polymers and the Environment · OSTI ID:22788367

Bio-treatment of poplar via amino acid for interface control in biocomposites

Journal Article · Wed Jul 29 20:00:00 EDT 2020 · Composites Part B: Engineering · OSTI ID:1649497

Effects of MCC Content on the Structure and Performance of PLA/MCC Biocomposites

Journal Article · Wed Aug 15 00:00:00 EDT 2018 · Journal of Polymers and the Environment · OSTI ID:22788002

Related Subjects

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
Fibers
biocomposite
biopolymers
composites
epoxy
impregnation
natural fiber
organic polymers
pine
plastics
polylactic acid

High-Strength Polylactic Acid (PLA) Biocomposites Reinforced by Epoxy-Modified Pine Fibers

Citation Formats

References (38)

Similar Records

Related Subjects