Abstract
Sorbitol and glycerol were used to plasticize sugar beet pulp-poly(lactic acid) green composites. The plasticizer was incorporated into sugar beet pulp (SBP) at 0%, 10%, 20%, 30% and 40% w/w at low temperature and shear and then compounded with poly(lactic acid) (PLA) using twin-screw extrusion and injection molding. The SBP:PLA ratio was maintained at 30:70. As expected, tensile strength decreased by 25% and the elongation increased. Acoustic emission (AE) showed correlated debonding and fracture mechanisms for up to 20% w/w plasticizer and uncorrelated debonding and fracture for 30–40% sorbitol and 30% glycerol content in SBP–PLA composites. All samples had a well dispersed SBP phase with some aggregation in the PLA matrix. However, at 40% glycerol plasticized SBP–PLA composites exhibited unique AE behavior and confocal microscopy revealed the plasticized SBP and PLA formed a co-continuous two phase system.
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Notes
Plastics Technology, http://www.ptonline.com/articles/200203fa2.html, 2007.
Economic Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture, 2006.
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Acknowledgments
The authors thank Richard Haig, Kathy Hornback, Gary Grose, Brian Jasberg, Nick Latona, Guoping Bao, and Dr. Art Thompson for assistance. We also acknowledge Michelle Archdale (NCAUR Library) and Skip Burhans (Bradley University) for supplying the economic data.
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Disclaimer: Names are necessary to report factually on available data. However, the United States Department of Agriculture neither guarantees nor warrants the standard of the product, and the use of the name by the USDA implies no approval to the exclusion of others that may also be suitable.
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Finkenstadt, V.L., Liu, CK., Cooke, P.H. et al. Mechanical Property Characterization of Plasticized Sugar Beet Pulp and Poly(Lactic Acid) Green Composites Using Acoustic Emission and Confocal Microscopy. J Polym Environ 16, 19–26 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10924-008-0085-8
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10924-008-0085-8