title: Property tuning of poly(lactic acid)/cellulose bio-composites through blending with modified ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer.
abstract: The effect of addition of an ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer modified with glycidyl methacrylate (EVA-GMA) on the structure and properties of poly(lactic acid) (PLA) composites with cellulose micro fibres (CF) was investigated. Binary (PLA/CF) and ternary (PLA/EVA-GMA/CF) composites obtained by melt mixing in Brabender mixer were analysed by SEM, POM, WAXS, DSC, TGA and tensile tests. The miscibility and morphology of PLA/EVA-GMA blends were first examined as a function of composition: a large rise of PLA spherulite growth rate in the blends was discovered with increasing the EVA-GMA content (0-30 wt%) in the isothermal crystallization both from the melt and the solid state. PLA/EVA-GMA/CF ternary composites displayed improved adhesion and dispersion of fibres into the matrix as compared to PLA/CF system. Marked changes of thermodynamic and tensile parameters, as elastic modulus, strength and elongation at break were observed for the composites, depending on blend composition, polymer miscibility and fibre-matrix chemical interactions at the interface.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Polymers, Composites and Biomaterials, IPCB-CNR, Sect. of Pisa, Pisa 56122, Italy. Electronic address: mariano.pracella@diccism.unipi.it.
authors.forename: Mariano
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pracella
authors.affiliation: Department of Civil & Industrial Engineering, University of Pisa, Pisa 56122, Italy. Electronic address: minhaz1978@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Md Minhaz-Ul
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Haque
authors.affiliation: Department of Civil & Industrial Engineering, University of Pisa, Pisa 56122, Italy. Electronic address: massimo.paci@unipi.it.
authors.forename: Massimo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Paci
authors.affiliation: Polymer Division, INTEMA-CONICET, University of Mar del Plata, 7600 Mar del Plata, Argentina. Electronic address: alvarezvera@fi.mdp.edu.ar.
authors.forename: Vera
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Alvarez
mesh_terms: D063566:Biodegradable Plastics / Q000138:chemical synthesis* / Q000737:chemistry; D002482:Cellulose / Q000031:analogs & derivatives*; D003460:Crystallization; D019344:Lactic Acid / Q000737:chemistry*; D011091:Polyesters; D011108:Polymers / Q000737:chemistry*; D013718:Tensile Strength; D014753:Vinyl Compounds / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D063566:Biodegradable Plastics; D011091:Polyesters; D011108:Polymers; D014753:Vinyl Compounds; C057352:ethyl vinyl acetate; D019344:Lactic Acid; C033616:poly(lactide); D002482:Cellulose
keywords: Cellulose fibres; Crystallization; Ethylene-vinyl acetate; Mechanical properties; Poly(lactic acid); Polymer composites