Publication: Toughening of polylactic acid using binary and ternary polymer blends with kenaf fiber reinforcement
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Date
2025-08-07
Authors
Prishika a/p Rajenthran
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Abstract
Polylactic acid (PLA), a biodegradable polymer derived from renewable resources, is limited by its inherent brittleness and low impact resistance, making it unsuitable for demanding applications. This study aims to enhance the toughness and flexibility of PLA through binary and ternary blending with PBAT and PCL, followed by natural fiber reinforcement using kenaf. PLA was blended with varying ratios of PBAT and PCL while maintaining PLA at 60 wt%. The dried pellets were melt-blended using a two-roll mill at controlled temperatures and compression molded using a hot press to form test specimens. In the second phase, kenaf fiber (5%, 10%, and 15%) was added to selected blends to evaluate the effect of fiber loading. Neat PLA exhibited high stiffness but low toughness, while neat PBAT and PCL were more ductile. Binary blends (PLA/PBAT and PLA/PCL) showed approximately 25% improvement in ductility but showed poor phase compatibility. Among the ternary blends, PLA60/PBAT20/PCL20 (P60B20C20) shows better mechanical with flexural strength increased by 18% and impact strength by 22% compare to other ternary blends, while PLA60/PBAT30/PCL10 (P60B30C10) showed the weakest performance with flexural strength reduced by 15%. The addition of kenaf fiber decreased the flexural strength by 9% but increased impact strength slightly by 6% compared to other ternary blends. P60B20C20 with addition of 5 wt% kenaf significantly increases the flexural strength by 18% and impact strength by 22% compared to other ternary blends. In conclusion, the study demonstrates that combining a balanced PLA/PBAT/PCL matrix with low kenaf fiber content yields a toughened, biodegradable composite suitable for sustainable applications.