Effects of Fibre Size, Content and Plasticiser on Strength Properties of <I>Gmelina arborea</I> Fibre Reinforced Bioplastics

Abstract

Bio plastics produced from cassava starch plasticised with glycerol and sorbitol and reinforced with Gmelina arborea wood fibres at 0 20% fibre contents, 212 and 650 µm fibre sizes were test ed for strength properties. The results obtained revealed that the bio composites had strength properties: tensile strength (0.13 3.34MPa), moduli (1.99 36.31MPa), extension at break (7.08 18.85 mm) comparable with those previously reported in literat ure. Fibre size significantly affected the tensile strength while fibre content significantly affected the moduli and extension at break of the bio composites. Biocomposites produced with sorbitol had significantly higher tensile strength, moduli and exten sion at break than those produced with glycerol