valorization of plant fiber for the reinforcement of thermoplastic matrix

Plant fiber composites are currently experiencing strong development, particularly due to the growing interest in them in the automotive industry. these fibers are an excellent alternative to glass fibers from the environmental point of view due to their biodegradability and their much more neutral combustibility in terms of the release of harmful gases or solid residues. however, the incorporation of cellulosic materials into the thermoplastic matrix affects a large number of properties. many factors, such as the nature and rate of the incorporated filler, can influence the properties of the composites. the present work involves studying the effect of the particle size of a natural fiber on the properties of a polymer matrix. the plant fibers used are diss fibers ground into a powder with a particle size of less than 63µm. different formulations based on hdpe/diss were prepared with different amounts of the filler (10%, 20% and 30%). the hdpe/diss composites were first processed using a calender, then molded into samples of various shapes with a thickness of 3 mm by compression at 190 °c. these were characterized by various techniques: physical tests, mechanical tests, rheological and morphological tests.