Food storage and food packaging materials belong to a group of food contact materials (FCM) that is highly regulated to ensure the health and safety of consumers.The choice of FCM is crucial because all types of FCM produce non-intentionally added substances (NIAS).The unknown substances are mixed together with the food and are consumed together.Therefore, bio-based and biodegradable materials are recommended since the excretion substances can be decomposed by human metabolism.One example is polylactide acid (PLA).PLA is made from potato or corn starch and comprises lactide acid monomers.However, the mechanical and thermal stability of PLA is relatively low.A fouryear-old bamboo is incorporated into the PLA matrix to improve the mechanical stability of PLA.A freshly harvested bamboo is sun-dried for a week before it undergoes alkali treatment with NaOH 5%.After 72 hours of alkali soaking, the bamboo is rinsed and re-dried.The strip, short fiber, and powder of bamboo were obtained mechanically.The PLA/bamboo composites are made with 10% bamboo reinforcement by using a hot press molding machine.The flexural test was done to observe the bamboo shape's influence on the mechanical stability of composites.We found that each form of bamboo has a different surface contact with the PLA matrix.So, it significantly influences the bending strength of PLA/bamboo composites.In addition, the alkali treatment also influences the flexural properties as it modifies the interface adhesion between bamboo and PLA.The composites made of bamboo immersed in NaOH solution have a higher flexural modulus of elasticity indicating better rigidity.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.2991/978-94-6463-587-4_45
Publish Year: 2024
