The influence of various/different ratios synthetic fiber mixture on the mechanical, thermal, morphological and flammability properties of poly (lactic acid)/polycarbonate blend

Abstract

Poly (Lactic Acid) (PLA)/Polycarbonate (PC) blend has gained much attention as a bio-based polymeric material in various industrial fields. This study aims to improve the properties of PLA/PC blend reinforced with glass fiber (GF) and carbon fiber (CF) mixture to be produced for industrial use. For this purpose, 50PLA/50PC blend was prepared and used as a control sample. Then, 30% by weight CF and 30% GF were added to the matrix separately. To examine the effect of the use of CF and GF together, the composites were prepared as a mixture form of fibers by adding 5-10-15% CF and 5-10-15% GF, respectively, to the control blend in pairs. All composites compounded with the laboratory-scale twin-screw mini extruder and molded by injection molding. The effects of using synthetic fiber mixture were evaluated in terms of the mechanical, thermal and flammability properties. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA), tensile test, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), limiting oxygen index (LOI), heat release rate (HRR) test were carried for the characterization of composites. The highest tensile strength values ​​and maximum % crystallinity values were obtained for the 15CF/15GF fiber mixture containing PLA/PC composite as 113.7 MPa and 21.4, respectively. CO yield (COY), HRR, and total heat release rate were reduced significantly by using synthetic fibers and fiber mixture.