Graduate Research and Discovery Symposium (GRADS)

Advisor

Amod Ogale

Document Type

Poster

Department

Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering

Publication Date

Spring 2014

Abstract

Fibers composed of soy flour (soy) and linear low density polyethylene (PE) were produced by melt spinning method. The mixing time of soy flour and PE was adjusted to get better dispersion of soy flour inside the matrix. The inclusion of soy decreased tensile modulus by 35% and tensile strength by 30% of the fibers compared with 950 MPa and 43 MPa, respectively, for PE fibers. Strain to failure for soy-PE fibers was 292% where PE fibers have strain to failure at 513%. Tensile properties of soy-PE fibers are comparable to those of pure PE. Even washing did not deteriorated the tensile properties, significantly. Microstructural analysis showed that fibers have a well morphology without phase distinction. Soy was dispersed well inside PE matrix with little agglomeration.

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