The addition of silane coupling agent in coconut coir husk/PLA biocomposite: Mechanical and biodegradability studies

Coconut coir husk based polylactic acid treated with 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane biocomposite was successfully prepared by using solvent casting method. Different amount of 3-APE (0 - 9 %) were incorporated into PLA at 30 % of CCH loading in order to produce PLA/CCH/3-APE biocomposite. The effect of coupling agent added on biocomposite were evaluated on water immersion tests, Izod impact, Fourier Transform Radiation and biodegradability properties. The FTIR spectras showed that the peak of hydroxyl group of CCH was decreased and shifted from 3347 cm-1 to 3341 cm-1 after the 3-APE treatment. Moreover, the peak at 767 cm-1 represent the presence of symmetric stretching of the Si-C bond from 3-APE and the peak at 700 cm-1 that appear for treated CCH can be assigned to asymmetric Si-O-C bending in 3-APE. The 9% of 3-APE added into biocomposite achieved the optimum value of impact strength which is 7.84 J/m. The biodegradation rate of the biocomposite decreased as amount of 3-APE incorporated increased. 9% of 3-APE incorporated in PLA/CCH biocomposite show 0.06 % of weight loss after buried for 4 weeks and 1.07% after soil buried for 8 weeks compared to untreated PLA/CCH biocomposite where give 2.79% of weight loss after soil buried for 4 weeks and 6.24% after soil buried for 8 weeks.