'Green' composites Part 2: Characterization of flax yarn and glutaraldehyde/poly(vinyl alcohol) modified soy protein concentrate composites

In the present research, soy protein concentrate (SPC) was modified using glutaraldehyde (GA) and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA). The modified resin allowed to process soy protein polymer without any plasticizer. The modified resin also showed increased tensile properties, improved thermal stability and reduced moisture resistance as compared to SPC resin. Besides the tensile and thermal properties, modified SPC resin was also characterized for its dynamic mechanical properties. Unidirectional composites were fabricated using modified SPC and flax yarn. Composite specimens, approximately 1 mm thick, were prepared in both longitudinal and transverse directions. The composite specimens were characterized for their tensile and flexural properties. The fracture surface of the composite was also analyzed in both longitudinal and transverse directions. These composite specimens exhibited a fracture stress of 126 MPa and 2.24 GPa, respectively, in the longitudinal directions. The composite properties were also predicted using the rule of mixture in longitudinal direction. It was observed that the experimental values are lower than the predicted values for a variety of reasons. (c) 2005 Springer Science + Business Media, Inc.