Fully Biodegradable Green Composites

Edited by Sabu Thomas, Kuruvilla Joseph, S. K. Malhotra, KoichiGoda and M. S. Sreekala. 

A fully biodegradable composite consisting of both biodegradable fibers and soy-based resin was developed in 1999 [22]. Luo and Netravali called fully biodegradable and sustainable composites made from natural fibers and biodegradable resins, truly green composites. In recent years, green composites have been fabricated 

This chapter focuses on soy protein and starch-based green composites and discusses the effects of biodegradable resin modifications and fiber treatment on mechanical and chemical properties. In addition, biodegradation of green composites has been briefly described. 

Soy protein resins, however, have three major disadvantages. First, soy protein contains many polar amino acids, which indicate its highly hydrophilic nature that allows large amount of moisture to be absorbed. Second, soy protein resins show brittle behavior when they are in dry conditions. In other words, soy protein properties are water sensitive. Third, soy protein resin shows low tensile strength. These disadvantages have limited their applications. Plasticizers and cross-linkers 

Fiber/resin interfacial property plays an important role in determining the mechanical properties of composites. While composite mechanical properties are mainly a function of the fibers, some important properties including fracture stress, toughness, and so on, are controlled by the fiber/resin interfacial shear stress (IFSS). 

---

Environmental Effects, Biodegradation, and Life Cycle Analysis of Fully Biodegradable Green Composites... 

---