MECHANICAL PROPERTIES OF SILK FIBER REINFORCED POLYMER COMPOSITES WITH CARBON NANOTUBES

초록

Aliphatic polyesters are expected to be applicable to biodegradable plastics. However, full-scale commercialization of aliphatic polyesters has not been realized yet because of their excessively high cost and poor mechanical properties compared with the cost and properties of the general synthetic plastics. The properties of aliphatic polyesters were improved by reinforcing natural fiber without a significant loss of biodegradability. Especially, the effect of increasing mechanical properties for aliphatic polyester composites with silk fibers was discussed. Mechanical properties of composites depend on the properties of constituent fibers and the matrix as well as the fiber/matrix interfacial shear strength (IFSS). In the present study, carbon nanotubes (CNTs) were incorporated onto the surface of silk fibers by a surprisingly simple, potentially scalable process to increase the IFSS between silk fibers and polymer matrix. CNTs-coated silk fibers acted as effective reinforcements for composites.