“Film-stacking method as an alternative Agave tequilana fibre/PLA composite fabrication”

This paper presents the fabrication of an Agave tequilana Fibre (ATF) bio-composite by film stacking method and experimental investigation on preliminary mechanical properties; namely tensile, flexural, impact, water uptake. Randomly oriented samples were made from both, untreated surface treated ATF collected a tequila distillery waste stream. The using NaOH, Pectate lyase to improve fibre properties adhesion. prepared three loadings, 20, 40 60 wt%. mats pre-impregnated with poly (lactic acid) (PLA) before press moulding. Untreated processed kept as reference. morphology fracture surfaces was analysed through optical environmental scanning electron microscopy (ESEM). quasi-static tensile tests revealed that modulus bio-based composite materials is up ~10% lower than neat PLA. Flexural strength values observed at wt% content within ranges 76.10–77.0 MPa for flexural 3.36–3.76 GPa, whereas impact presented reduction ~32–35%. Generally, all measured in increase loading.