Compatibilización de biocomposites y perspectivas de aplicación de composites para la remoción de metales pesados

The growing concern for the development of eco-friendly materials has drawn attention to the use of biodegradable polymers such as polylactic acid (PLA). The aim of this work was to prepare PLA biocomposites with agave fibers. It is well known that the mechanical properties of these composites are strongly affected by the interfacial bonding/adhesion between the hydrophilic fibers and the hydrophobic matrices. For this reason, the chemical modification of fibers was carried out using solutions of maleic anhydride or glycidyl methacrylate grafted PLA, prepared by means of reactive extrusion. It was possible to graft a thin layer of polymer into the fibers’ surface and to increase the impregnation of the coupling agent by repeating the treatment in two subsequent stages, enhancing the state of adhesion in the composites’ interface. This leads to better compaction of the material, lower water uptake values (39%) and increases in tensile strength of up to 75%. Thus, it was possible to increase the concentration of fibers in the matrix maintaining similar properties as LMDPE processes under similar conditions, showing that biocomposites represent an interesting alternative to conventional polymers. Besides, the presence of agave fibers confers properties to the composite for its use in several novel applications, such as its use as support for low-cost adsorbents in a fixed-bed column, which enhances its operational behavior by tailoring its porosity during sorbent preparation.