Properties of Renewable Biocomposite from Poly(butylene succinate) and Teakwood Sawdust before and after Accelerated Weathering Condition

A new kind of renewable biocomposite was prepared by compounding bio-based poly(butylene succinate) (PBS) with teakwood sawdust which sieved sawdust were used as received or treated with 3-aminopropyltriethoxy silane (APS). The PBS/teakwood composites were compounded in the weight ratio of 90/10 wt%, 80/20 wt%, 70/30 wt% and 60/40 wt%. Thermal properties and morphology of the composites were investigated. The accelerated weathering testing was carried out for 60 h under water spraying and cycle of UV exposure at 60 degrees C. Tensile and flexural properties before and after the accelerated weathering condition were analyzed. It was found that teakwood sawdust did not effect on the melting temperatures of PBS but reduced the degree of crystallinity. The composites showed lower thermal stability due to the degradation of hemicellulose and silane. Interfacial adhesion between PBS and APS-treated teakwood sawdust was achieved showing less pull-out of sawdust. Tensile and flexural modulus of composites increased with respect to sawdust content, in which the APS-treated composites had higher modulus. After passing the accelerated weathering condition, tensile modulus of the composites slightly increased while flexural properties decreased in the composites added sawdust content higher than 20 wt%. Loss of flexural properties was more pronounced than tensile properties due to the hydrolytic degradation introduced by hydrophilicity of lignocellulosic fillers.