Degradation of blue agave bagasse in low-density polyethylene composites under different processing conditions

Abstract

The composites were fabricated under a variety of different process conditions, ranging from a blend of a low-density polyethylene reinforced with agave bagasse fibers at concentrations of 5, 10 up to 20 wt%. The theoretical and experimental moduli were determined in conjunction with the fiber degradation. The results show that the moduli of the composites increased with fiber content but decreased linearly with increasing processing temperatures. The calculated theoretical module with the Cox model is significantly greater than that experimentally obtained due to the fiber degradation, poor interfacial fiber/polymer interaction, and structural defects in the interior of the composite generated by the thermal conditions. Thermogravimetric analysis shows an unexpected three-stage process of degradation of the fiber in the temperature range of 225–290℃.