Structural changes of Salix miyabeana cellulose fibres during dilute-acid steam explosion: impact of reaction temperature and retention time.

Dilute-acid steam explosion of Salix miyabeana has been carried out to understand the effect of processing conditions, expressed through a severity factors (SFT), on the changes in cellulose fibre structures in a perspective of using these in polymer composites. This thermo-chemico-mechanical extraction leads to the isolation of cellulose fibres as observed by SEM images. Fibre length as well as length to diameter aspect ratios decreased with the severity of the treatment.

Toughening mechanisms in interfacially modified HDPE/thermoplastic starch blends.

The mechanical behavior of polymer blends containing 80 wt% of HDPE and 20 wt% of TPS and compatibilized with HDPE-g-MA grafted copolymer was investigated. Unmodified HDPE/TPS blends exhibit high fracture resistance, however, the interfacial modification of those blends by addition of HDPE-g-MA leads to a dramatic drop in fracture resistance. The compatibilization of HDPE/TPS blends increases the surface area of TPS particles by decreasing their size.

Extrusion foaming of semi-crystalline PLA and PLA/thermoplastic starch blends.

Low density open-cell foams were obtained from polylactic acid (PLA) and from blends of PLA with thermoplastic starch (TPS) using CO(2) as a blowing agent. Two unexpected features were found. First, a 2D cavitation process in the fractured cell walls was unveiled.