Effect of PEG on Impact Strength of PLA Hybrid Biocomposite

This paper investigates the impact strength of plasticized polylactic acid (PLA) filled with kenaf fiber (KF) and montmorrilonite (MMT). The compositional ratio of PLA, KF and MMT is 77:20:3. Hybrid biocomposite was prepared through extrusion process and then injection moulded. PLA is one of the biodegradable polymers that have poor impact properties. Therefore, to overcome this problem, 3 wt% polyethylene glycol (PEG) was added as a plasticizer in the processing of hybrid biocomposite. From the Charpy impact test, impact strength of plasticized biocomposite improved significantly as compared to unplasticized biocomposite. The impact strength of various composition of biocomposite increased with the presence of PEG, and p-PLA-KF-MMT posses the highest impact strength which is 89.5 kJ/m(2). Transmission electron micrograph (TEM) of hybrid biocomposite revealed the well-distributed of MMT with intercalated structure.