Carbon fiber reinforced poly(lactic acid) composites: Investigation the effects of graphene nanoplatelet and coupling agent addition

Although petroleum-based polymers require a long process to decompose in nature, they still have a wide range of uses. However, due to many important reasons such as the environmental pollution problem caused by these polymers, there is an increasing interest in biodegradable polymers. Poly(lactic acid) (PLA) is a biopolymer with comparable performance to conventional polymers. However, due to its poor tribological, mechanical and thermal properties, the usage area of PLA cannot expand and its use is limited to short-term material applications. In this study, it was aimed to contribute to the expansion of the usage area of PLA by improving its poor properties. For this purpose, efficiency of graphene nanoplatelet (GnP) and/or Joncryl (R) addition to carbon fiber (CF) reinforced PLA matrix composites to improve the composite performance by means of improved interface interaction fiber and matrix was investigated. Within this scope, effects the separately and/or simultaneously addition of CF, GnP and Joncryl (R) to PLA on properties were investigated by tensile test, adhesive wear test, DSC, TGA and SEM analyses. All results revealed that the composite composition prepared by simultaneously addition of 10, 0.5 and 2 wt.% CF, GnP and Joncryl (R), respectively, to pure PLA performed the best in all tests and analyses.

Automated summary

Although petroleum-based polymers have a lengthy decomposition process, they are still widely used. However, due to environmental pollution concerns, there is growing interest in biodegradable polymers. Poly(lactic acid) (PLA) is a biopolymer with similar performance to traditional polymers, but its poor properties limit its application. This study aimed to expand the usage of PLA by improving its properties through the addition of graphene nanoplatelets (GnP) and/or Joncryl (R) to carbon fiber (CF) reinforced PLA composites. Tensile tests, adhesive wear tests, DSC, TGA, and SEM analyses were conducted to investigate the effects of CF, GnP, and Joncryl (R) addition to PLA. The composite composition with simultaneous addition of 10 wt.% CF, 0.5 wt.% GnP, and 2 wt.% Joncryl (R) showed the best performance in all tests and analyses.