Mechanical properties of bio-absorbable PLA/PGA fiber-reinforced composites

This study investigated important mechanical properties, the flexural strength and flexural modulus, of polyglycolic acid (PGA) fiber-reinforced polylactic acid (PLA) composites fabricated by melt-mixing. The flexural strength and flexural modulus were estimated using three-point bending tests conducted at 37°C. Both the flexural strength and flexural modulus were increased by PGA fiber reinforcement. Viscoelastic properties were also investigated using dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) under tensile loading. Results show that PGA fiber, which acts as the nucleate agent of PLA, restrains the molecular chains of PLA. That restraint reduces deformation at the same stress condition, thereby improving the PLA flexural properties.