Journal
COMPOSITES PART B-ENGINEERING
Volume 56, Issue -, Pages 717-723Publisher
ELSEVIER SCI LTD
DOI: 10.1016/j.compositesb.2013.09.012
Keywords
Polymer matrix composites (PMCs); Mechanical properties; Thermal properties; Micro-mechanics
Funding
- NSERC Green Fibre Network
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Polymer composites were fabricated with poly(lactic acid) (PLA) and cellulosic natural fibers combining the wet-laid fiber sheet forming method with the film stacking composite-making process. The natural fibers studied included hardwood high yield pulp, softwood high yield pulp, and bleached kraft softwood pulp fibers. Composite mechanical and thermal properties were characterized. The incorporation of pulp fibers significantly increased the composite storage moduli and elasticity, promoted the cold crystallization and recrystallization of PLA, and dramatically improved composite tensile moduli and strengths. The highest composite tensile strength achieved was 121 MPa, nearly one fold higher than that of the neat PLA. The overall fiber efficiency factors for composite tensile strengths derived from the micromechanics models were found to be much higher than that of conventional random short fiber-reinforced composites, suggesting the fiber-fiber bond also positively contributed to the composites' strengths. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
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