Abstract
The focus of this study is to explore synergy between nanomaterials such as exfoliated graphite nanoplatelets (xGnP) and micro-size reinforcements such as kenaf natural fibers, in poly(lactic acid) based composites. The nano-biocomposites are made by melt-mixing followed by injection molding. Prior to melt-mixing the kenaf fibers were coated with the xGnP using sonication. The reinforcement content used in the study was up to 5 wt% and up to 40 wt% for xGnP and kenaf fibers, respectively. The flexural strength and modulus and the viscoelastic properties such as storage modulus were determined. It was found that addition of 5 wt% xGnP did not increase the viscosity of the polymer melt, enhanced the flexural modulus by 25–30% at any fiber loading used but did not increase the strength, indicating insufficient load transfer at the polymer-xGnP or xGnP-kenaf interface. Finally, addition of xGnP had a positive effect on the heat distortion temperature but only at higher fiber loadings.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Cho SGLD, Park WH, Han SO (2002) Polym Sci Technol 13:460
Mohanty AK, Khan MA, Hinrichsen G (2000) Compos Sci Technol 60:1115
Han YH, Han SO, Cho D, Kim H-I (2007) Compos Inter 14:559
Lunt J (1998) Polym Degrad Stab 59:145
Martin O, Avérous L (2001) Polymer 42:6209
Drumright RE, Gruber PR, Henton DE (2000) Adv Mater 12:1841
Avella M, Bogoeva-Gaceva G, Buzˇarovska A, Emanuela Errico M, Gentile G, Grozdanov A (2008) J Appl Polym Sci 108:3542
Viswas MG, Aristippos G, Milford AH (2001) Bioresour Technol 76:57
Wang HS, Sun X, Seib P (2001) J Appl Polym Sci 82:1761
Mohanty AK, Misra M, Drzal LT (2005) Natural fibers, biopolymers and biocomposites. CRC Press, Boca Raton, p 875
Karnani R, Narayan R (1997) Polym Eng Sci 37:476
Mallick PK (2007) Fiber-reinforced composites: materials, manufacturing, and design, 3rd edn. CRC press, Boca Raton
Ramaswamy GN, Tao W, Crook LG (2003) Ind Crop Prod 17:1
Kalaitzidou K, Fukushima H, Askeland P, Drzal LT (2007) J Mater Sci 43:2895. doi:10.1007/s10853-007-1876-3
Fukushima H (2003). Dissertation, Michigan State University
Kalaitzidou K, Fukushima H, Drzal LT (2007) Carbon 45:1446
I-H ParkJKD, Per Askeland, Drzal Lawrence T (2008) Compos Sci Technol 68:1734
Tait M, Pegoretti A, Dorigato A, Kalaitzidou K (2011) Carbon 49:4280
Ray D, Sarkar BK, Das S, Rana AK (2002) Compos Sci Technol 62:911
Han YH, Han SO, Cho D, Kim HI (2008) Macromol Res 16:253
Acknowledgements
The authors thank the financial support from the Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering at Georgia Institute of Technology and the financial support from the CDRS R&D Center (the Twenty-first Century Frontier R & D Program) funded by the Ministry of Science and Technology, Korea.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Han, S.O., Karevan, M., Bhuiyan, M.A. et al. Effect of exfoliated graphite nanoplatelets on the mechanical and viscoelastic properties of poly(lactic acid) biocomposites reinforced with kenaf fibers. J Mater Sci 47, 3535–3543 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10853-011-6199-8
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10853-011-6199-8