INVESTIGATIONS REGARDING DEGRADATION BY HYDRATION-DRYING OF SOME BIOCOMPOSITES REINFORCED WITH NATURAL FIBER

Biocomposite materials with improved properties can be obtained by reinforcing a biodegradable matrix with natural fibers. In order to obtain the biodegradable matrix a viable solution are thermoplastic starch based polymers. A method to avoid the inconveniences of using thermoplastic starch (poor mechanical properties and low resistance to moisture) can also be the reinforcement with natural fibers. The composite material studied was obtained by the reactive extrusion of various mixtures of starch, glycerol, poly (butylene adipate-co-terephthalate) (PBAT) and Miscanthus fibers as reinforcing material. This paper presents the results of water uptake and FT-IR spectroscopy investigations for 4 samples of composite material with thermoplastic starch matrix and reinforced with Miscanthus fibers in different concentrations (up to 20%).