Combined influences of trioctyl phosphate and modified microcrystalline cellulose from oil palm empty fruit bunch waste on characteristics of polylactide composite

Polylactide (PLA) is renewable and biodegradable with good strength and modulus, but its poor toughness and flammability limit its use in the automotive and electronics fields. In this study, the toughness and flame retardancy of PLA were enhanced with multifunctional additives. PLA was compounded with trioctyl phosphate (TOP) and reinforced with a filler of maleic anhydride-modified microcrystalline cellulose (MAMC) derived from oil palm empty fruit bunch. TOP was an effective impact modifier for PLA and retarded total flame time. Compared to neat PLA, the impact strength of PLA with 10 phr of TOP increased by almost 260 %. The incorporation of TOP and MAMC further improved the properties of the PLA composite, which showed excellent flame retardant behavior. In UL94 conditions, the best-performing sample achieved the highest rating of V-0, selfextinguishing in 1.6 +/- 0.5 s and producing no melt dripping. MAMC also significantly increased the thermal stability of the PLA-based composite. The best-performing formulation (PO10MAMC15) showed the potential to be used in the automotive and electronic industries.