Tensile elongation values, with reinforcement

However, increasing cellulose fiber content and time of photo-irradiation led to decreasing elongation (%) values. Other research on the use of thermoplastic starch without further modification (i.e., changes in experimental conditions) include the work of Lu et al. (2006), Ma et al. (2007), Fama et al. (2009), Kaushik et al.(2010), Liu et al. (2010), Guimaraes et al. (2010), and Kaith et al. (2010). These studies show a significant increase in tensile and thermal properties of thermoplastic starch when the matrix reinforced with nanofibers. 

In an interesting study, aU chitosan nanocomposites were made of ChW reinforced chitosan films by Sriupayo et al. (2005). The tensile strength increased with initial increase in the whisker content to reach a maximum value at the whisker content of 2.96 wt% and decreased gradually with further increase in the whisker content, while the percentage of elongation at break decreased with initial increase in the whisker content, and leveled off when the whisker content was greater than or equal to 2.96 wt%. 

When irradiating a 1 1 blend of polychloroprene and poly(butadiene-acry-lonitrile) (NBR) reinforced by 50 phr furnace black and containing 5-15 phr of tetramethacrylate of bisglycerol phtalate, the product exhibited a tensile strength of 20 MPa (2,900 psi) at a dose of 15 Mrad (150 kGy) with values of elongation at break in the range of 420-480%. These values are equal to or better than those obtained from similar compounds cured chemically. ... 

A series of six stress-strain cycles with a crosshead rate of 600 mm/min was applied to specimens having a parallel length of 25 mm and a cross-section of 1 x 4 mm2 on a tensile testing machine. The samples were continuously stretched in six hysteresis cycles up to 60% of their elongation at break values, as shown in Fig. 47. This procedure is an established one and widely practiced for elastomeric composites reinforced with fillers such as carbon black and silica, which tend to build a strong filler-filler network [83]. 

---