A Study of Fibre-matrix Interactions in Biodegradable Kraft Pulp Fibre-reinforced Polylactic Acid Composites

As the plastics sector moves towards sustainable growth and development, natural fibres start to play an important role as constituents in composite materials in several industries including automotives. However, drawbacks such as fibre-matrix incompatibility and poor fibre dispersion still exist. In this thesis, Kraft pulp fibre (KF)-Polylactic Acid (PLA) composites were prepared using thermal compounding and aqueous blending to study fibre-matrix interactions. Fibre surfaces were also modified to improve fibre dispersion and water absorption properties. A biorefinery lignin was added to PLA and high density polyethylene (HDPE) as a biofiller and potential interface modifier. Aqueous blended composites showed better mechanical and dynamic mechanical performance than the thermally compounded materials. The fibre surface modification improved dispersion and material properties at higher fibre content. Furthermore, the addition of lignin to polymers resulted in improved mechanical properties in both PLA and HDPE; however, lignin failed to improve interface bonding between KF and PLA.MAS