Characterization of surface modified flax fibers and their biocomposites with PHB

Flax fiber was treated with acetic anhydride or with ethylene plasma to improve adhesion with poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) (PHB). The flax fiber surface became hydrophobic by the surface treatments. The ethylene plasma treated flax fiber has better thermal resistance and shows higher interfacial adhesion strength in flax/PHB biocomposite than the chemically modified flax fiber with acetic anhydride. Optimum conditions of the ethylene plasma treatment were found to be 0.5 cm(3)/sec of the ethylene flow rate and 50 W of the plasma power with 5 min of the treatment time.