Abstract
Natural fiber-reinforced polymers or biocomposites are becoming increasingly popular as an environment friendly alternative to traditional glass fiber-reinforced thermoplastics. The mechanical properties of reinforced biocomposites, such as flax/polylactic acid (PLA), are largely governed by the level of interfacial interactions between the two constituents apart from their intrinsic properties. The hierarchical organization of various polysaccharides present in natural fibers results in complex mechanisms at the interface which are still poorly understood and difficult to analyze through a traditional approach that rely on indirect assessments. The possibility of measuring direct adhesion force between individual particles using the colloidal force microscopy has been exploited here by developing an experimental set-up in which a micrometer colloidal PLA bead is brought into close contact with molecularly smooth polysaccharide surfaces that mimic the main constituents of flax fibers, cellulose, hemicellulose, and pectins. Adhesion force measurements performed under ambient and low relative humidity conditions indicate that cellulose/PLA is the weakest interface in the biocomposite. Moreover, the results emphasize the important role of water molecules for the more hydrophilic polymers in flax fibers that takes place in the fundamental forces involved in the adhesion phenomena at the biocomposite interface.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Bodros E, Pillin I, Montrelay N, Baley C (2007) Compos Sci Technol 67:462. doi:10.1016/j.compscitech.2006.08.024
Oksman K, Skrifvars M, Selin J-F (2003) Compo Sci Technol 63:1317. doi:10.1016/s0266-3538(03)00103-9
Sedan D, Pagnoux C, Smith A, Chotard T (2008) J Eur Ceram Soc 28:183. doi:10.1016/j.jeurceramsoc.2007.05.019
Le Duigou A, Davies P, Baley C (2011) J Biobased Mater Bioenergy 5:153. doi:10.1166/jbmb.2011.1116
Arbelaiz A, Cantero G, Fernández B, Mondragon I, Gañán P, Kenny JM (2005) Polym Compos 26:324. doi:10.1002/pc.20097
Kalia S, Kaith BS, Kaur I (2009) Polym Eng Sci 49:1253. doi:10.1002/pen.21328
Mohanty AK, Misra M, Drzal LT (2001) Compos Interface 8:313. doi:10.1163/156855401753255422
Mwaikambo LY, Ansell MP (2002) J Appl Polym Sci 84:2222. doi:10.1002/app.10460
Balnois E, Bunel F, Baley C, Grohens Y (2007) Compos Interface 14:715. doi:10.1163/156855407782106537
Raj G, Balnois E, Baley C, Grohens Y (2011) Int J Polym Sci 2011:1. doi:10.1155/2011/503940
Baley C (2002) Composites A 33:939. doi:10.1016/s1359-835x(02)00040-4
Morvan C, Andème-Onzighi C, Girault R, Himmelsbach DS, Driouich A, Akin DE (2003) Plant Physiol Biochem 41:935. doi:10.1016/j.plaphy.2003.07.001
Pietak A, Korte S, Tan E, Downard A, Staiger MP (2007) Appl Surf Sci 253:3627. doi:10.1016/j.apsusc.2006.07.082
Le Troëdec M, Rachini A, Peyratout C, Rossignol S, Max E, Kaftan O, Fery A, Smith A (2011) J Colloid Interface Sci 356:303. doi:10.1016/j.jcis.2010.12.066
Raj G, Balnois E, Baley C, Grohens Y (2009) J Scanning Probe Microsc 4:66. doi:10.1166/jspm.2009.1010
Raj G, Balnois E, Baley C, Grohens Y (2009) Colloid Surf A 352:47. doi:10.1016/j.colsurfa.2009.09.048
Sczech R, Riegler H (2006) J Colloid Interface Sci 301:376. doi:10.1016/j.jcis.2006.05.021
Israelachvili JN (1991) Intermolecular and surface forces. Academic Press, London
Butt H-J, Cappella B, Kappl M (2005) Surf Sci Rep 59:1. doi:10.1016/j.surfrep.2005.08.003
Rabinovich YI, Adler JJ, Ata A, Singh RK, Moudgil BM (2000) J Colloid Interface Sci 232:17. doi:10.1006/jcis.2000.7168
Cappella B, Dietler G (1999) Surf Sci Rep 34:1. doi:10.1016/s0167-5729(99)00003-5
Johnson KL, Kendall K, Roberts AD (1971) Proc R Soc Lond A Math Phys Sci 324:301. doi:10.1098/rspa.1971.0141
Burnham NA, Colton RJ, Pollock HM (1993) Nanotechnology 4:64. doi:10.1088/0957-4484/4/2/002
Sedin DL, Rowlen KL (2000) Anal Chem 72:2183. doi:10.1021/ac991198c
Xiao X, Qian L (2000) Langmuir 16:8153. doi:10.1021/la000770o
Eastman T, Zhu D-M (1996) Langmuir 12:2859. doi:10.1021/la9504220
Ko J-A, Choi H-J, Ha M-Y, Hong S-D, Yoon H-S (2010) Langmuir 26:9728. doi:10.1021/la100452m
Baley C, Morvan C, Grohens Y (2005) Macromol Symp 222:195. doi:10.1002/masy.200550425
Trotzig C, Abrahmsén-Alami S, Maurer FHJ (2007) Polymer 48:3294. doi:10.1016/j.polymer.2007.03.047
Turner DT, Schwartz A (1985) Polymer 26:757. doi:10.1016/0032-3861(85)90114-4
Iijima M, Nakamura K, Hatakeyama T, Hatakeyama H (2000) Carbohydr Polym 41:101. doi:10.1016/s0144-8617(99)00116-2
Lourdin D, Coignard L, Bizot H, Colonna P (1997) Polymer 38:5401. doi:10.1016/S0032-3861(97)00082-7
Boiko YM, Prud’homme RE (1997) Macromolecules 30:3708. doi:10.1021/ma960002x
Boiko YM, Prud’homme RE (1999) J Appl Polym Sci 74:825. doi:10.1002/(sici)1097-4628(19991024)74:4<825:aid-app8>3.0.co;2-6
Grohens Y, Brogly M, Labbe C, David M-O, Schultz J (1998) Langmuir 14:2929. doi:10.1021/la971397w
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Raj, G., Balnois, E., Helias, MA. et al. Measuring adhesion forces between model polysaccharide films and PLA bead to mimic molecular interactions in flax/PLA biocomposite. J Mater Sci 47, 2175–2181 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10853-011-6020-8
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10853-011-6020-8