MECHANICAL AND FRACTUR CHARACTERIZATION OF BIODEGRADABLE POLYMER POLYOLEFIN-NATURAL FIBERS SYSTEMS

MD. MINHAZ-UL HAQUE; MARIANO PRACELLA; VERA ALVAREZ; ARIEL STOCCHI; LEANDRO LUDUEÑA

Congreso; SAP2011; 2011

Biodegradable polymers constitute a new family of polymers designed to be degraded by living organisms. In some cases recycling is impractical or not economical and this materials offer a possible alternative to traditional non-degradable polymers because they can be composted together with food and yard waste. (Bastioli 1997) One of the main drawbacks of these materials is their high cost and specific properties. An advantageous possibility is that to use blends of biodegradable polymers with traditional ones to obtain materials with improved cost/performances ratio. Moreover, natural fibers exhibit several advantages, such as low cost, renewability and biodegradability (Alverez et. al 2003), which can be exploited for designing novel eco-compatible composites. In order to improve the adhesion between cellulosic fibers and polymers, and diminish the moisture absorption, there are several chemical treatments The alkali treatment is one of the mast used and it cleans the fiber surface increases the number of free hydroxyl groups in the fiber surface, and produce changes on the chemical composition of the natural fibers (extraction of the lignin and hemicellulose). The aim of this work was to prepare and characterize biodegradable polyester/polyolefin blend composites containing natural fibers that can be used in packaging industry. The final objective is to obtain materials with improved mechanical properties, lower cost and reduced environmental impact.