Student Work

To alleviate modern society’s reliance on plastic, our team explored compostable alternatives to petroleum-based polymers. This study examines the processability and properties of organic fiber-reinforced composites, constructed using a combination of PLA or a potato starch-based matrix, and natural fibers such as flax, cotton, or jute. To characterize the resulting material, our team studied the matrix-fiber adhesion, chemical composition, mechanical strength,and biodegradability of the samples. This investigation allowed our team to infer potential applications for our product, as well as issue guidance for future exploration.

Creator

• Cotter, Timothy
• Sichler, Allison L.
• Wright, Ahna H.
• Kearns, Allyson Rose

Publisher

• Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Identifier

• E-project-051420-150536

Advisor

• Guceri, Selcuk
• Kmiotek, Stephen J.

Year

• 2020

Date created

• 2020-05-14

Resource type

• Major Qualifying Project

Major

• Mechanical Engineering
• Chemical Engineering

Rights statement

• In Copyright

License

• All rights reserved

Relationships

In Collection:

• Major Qualifying Projects

Items

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	The Development and Study of Organic Composites.pdf	2020-08-22	Public	Press to Select an action Download