Studies on Properties of Bio-Composites from Ecoflex/Ramie Fabric-Mechanical and Barrier Properties

Abstract

Nowadays, utilization of biodegradable materials has become necessary in order to maintain global environmental and ecological balance. “Green” composites offered the possible solution to waste disposal problems associated with tradi- tional petroleum derived plastics. The use of plastics based on removable resources is enormous now a day for the de- velopment of true bio-composites. Fully biodegradable “Green” textile composites have been prepared from Ecoflex and ramie fabric. Textile composites were fabricated from the Ecoflex polymer and the ramie fabric by hot compression molding technique. Interactions at the fiber-matrix interface and the compatibility between ramie fabric and Ecoflex polymer will affect the properties of the system. The mechanical property and barrier property of the composites were investigated. Static mechanical properties such as tensile strength, tensile modulus, and elongation at break of the textile bio-composites were analyzed. Sorption characteristics of water, oil and diesel in the textile composites were analyzed in order to determine its outdoor applications and the influence of macro fibers on the transport phenomena was inves- tigated. The kinetics of sorption-diffusion process was investigated. Kinetic parameters such as n, k, diffusion coeffi- cient, permeability, solubility parameter, % swelling index, etc., were analyzed. The water sorption mechanism in the textile composites was found to exhibit slight deviation from Fickian mode.