A.K.M. Moshiul Alam

Thermo-mechanical and morphological properties of short natural fiber reinforced poly (lactic acid) biocomposite: Effect of fiber treatment

Untreated oil palm empty fruit bunch (REFB), alkali treated EFB (AEFB), ultrasound treated EFB (UEFB) and simultaneous ultrasound-alkali treated EFB (UAEFB) short fibers were incorporated in poly(lactic acid) (PLA) for fabricating bio-composites. The REFB fiber-PLA (REPC) and treated EFB (TEFB) fiber-PLA (TEPC) composites were prepared and characterized. Glass transition temperature, crystal melting temperature, decomposition temperature, melt flow index, density and mechanical properties (tensile strength, tensile modulus and impact strength) of TEPC are found to be higher than those of REPC. The observed crystallization temperature of TEPC is lower than that of REPC. Among all samples, TEPC prepared from UAEFB fiber shows better performances than other samples fabricated by REFB and AEFB fibers. Scanning electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and XRD analyses well support all the observed results.

Toughening effect of liquid natural rubber on the morphology and thermo-mechanical properties of the poly(lactic acid) ternary blend

In this work, poly(lactic acid) (PLA) was melt blended with liquid natural rubber (LNR) and linear low-density polyethylene (LLDPE) to fabricate a PLA–LNR–LLDPE ternary blend. The torque rheology demonstrates the melt mixing behavior of PLA–LLDPE binary and PLA–LNR–LLDPE ternary blends. Mechanical properties of ternary blend illustrate the highest toughness as compared to neat PLA and PLA–LLDPE binary blend. Fracture morphology reveals the plastic deformation behavior in the ternary blend which is illustrated in TEM micrograph. The cold crystallization temperature of the ternary blend appears at a lower temperature as compared to the binary blend. The thermal stability of PLA is improved due to blending with LLDPE and LNR. The ternary blend exhibits greater storage modulus in the glassy state as well as in the rubbery state as compared to neat PLA and binary blend. Finally, LNR performed as an effective compatibilizer between PLA and LLDPE.

Spherical Nanocrystalline Cellulose (NCC) from Oil Palm Empty Fruit Bunch Pulp via Ultrasound Assisted Hydrolysis

Nanocrystalline cellulose (NCC) was isolated from oil palm empty fruit bunch pulp (EFBP) using ultrasound assisted acid hydrolysis. The obtained NCC was analysed using FESEM, XRD, FTIR, and TGA, and compared with raw empty fruit bunch fibre (REFB), empty fruit bunch pulp (EFBP), and treated empty fruit bunch pulp (TEFBP). Based on FESEM analysis, it was found that NCC has a spherical shaped after acid hydrolysis with the assistance of ultrasound. This situation was different compared to previous studies that obtained rod-like shaped of NCC. Furthermore, the crystallinity of NCC is higher compared to REFB and EFBP. According to thermal stability, the NCC obtained shows remarkable sign of high thermal stability compared to REFB and EFBP.

12 – The use of oil palm biomass (OPB) fibers as reinforcements in composites

Abstract: There are tremendous demands of lightweight materials for use in transportation and construction sectors. Natural fibers (NFs) in reinforced polymer composites are relatively lightweight. However, NFs have some limitations due to their moisture affinity, poor wettability and low thermal stability during processing with synthetic polymers. These drawbacks have been overcome by effective physical and chemical treatments of NFs. Among various NFs, oil palm biomasses (OPBs) are readily available in some tropical countries and have received intense attention in the composite industries. In this chapter, the performance of untreated and differently treated OPB fibers, reinforced thermoplastic and thermoset composites prepared through extrusion, compression and injection moldings have been discussed in detail.