Low velocity impact response of biodegradable PLA composites reinforced by reclaimed cotton preforms

Along with the environmental awareness,biodegradable composites,produced from biodegradable polymers and fibres,have gained more attention. polylactic acid (pla) offers a possible alternative to the traditional non-biodegradable polymers since their recycling is difficult or not economical. as being a natural fibre,cotton is very attractive in reinforcement of green composites. in this study biodegradable composites were obtained from pla and knitted preforms manufactured from raw cotton and reclaimed cotton,by using compression molding method. impact properties of composites comprised of different preform structures were tested. the promising impact property of reclaimed cotton/pla composite shows the potential of reclaimed fibres in the usage of biodegradable composites. also the results of the low velocity impact tests showed that variation in yarn twist and loop length has an influence on cotton/pla composite characteristics.