Search

• Toughness of PLA/flax fiber blends was improved by epoxidized cardanol. • Full biodegradable and biobased polymer blends with lower cost was developed. • Toughening mechanism was revealed based on the mechanical properties and SEM graphs. Poly (lactic acid) (PLA)/flax fiber/cardanol (or epoxidized cardanol) blends were prepared by mould injection. Epoxidized cardanol was effective on toughening PLA/flax fiber blends. The maximum notched Izod impact strength of PLA/flax fiber/epoxidized cardanol (80/10/10) blend reached 10.42 ± 0.61 kJ/m2 i.e. two fold of PLA/flax fiber (90/10) blend (5.18 ± 0.23 kJ/m2). Also, the elongation at break of PLA/flax fiber/epoxidized cardanol (85/5/10) blend was promoted to 43.76 ± 8.58 %, which was over four fold of PLA/flax fiber (95/5) blend (9.94 ± 1.65 %). The improved interfacial compatibility caused by epoxidized cardanol was presumed to be responsible for the superior toughness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A facile way to prepare poly (lactic acid)/cardanol composite with high elongation. • High impact resistant poly (lactic acid) composite with low cost was developed. • Dicumyl peroxide was innovatively used to reduce the consumption of plasticizer. Grafting reaction between poly (lactic acid) (PLA) and cardanol was initiated by dicumyl peroxide at different compositions, and the mechanical, thermal properties were characterized. In absence of dicumyl peroxide (DCP), the PLA/cardanol blends showed a typical plastic behavior with increasing cardanol content, i.e. decrement of tensile strength, accompanied by increment of elongation at break, while the notched Izod impact strength kept low level until the cardanol content reached 20 wt%. When DCP was introduced into the blends, only 15 wt% cardanol content was needed to improve the notched Izod impact strength significantly. According to the thermal behavior testing results, the grafting of cardanol onto PLA chains might take responsibility for the further improvement of impact strength with less cardanol content. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]