Biocomposites from Colombian Sugarcane Bagasse with Polypropylene: Mechanical, Thermal and Viscoelastic Properties

Abstract

Biocomposites are materials formed by mixing a polymer matrix and a filler or rein- forcement, with the characteristic that at least one should be of biological origin. For this study, biocomposites were obtained from natural fibers of cane bagasse and poly- propylene, using bagasse from postindustrial sources, originating from the production of sugarcane from the Valle-Cauca region in Colombia. In addition, cane bagasse fibers were treated chemically, with the purpose of improving the interfacial relationship. Polypropylene homopolymer was used as a polymeric matrix, which was mixed in a twin screw extruder, obtaining different materials as biocomposites. Finally, it was pos- sible to obtain a suitable biocomposite for application in injection molding processes and studying its mechanical, viscoelastic, and thermal behaviors, through DSC, TGA, DMA, and SEM techniques.