• Journal of the Korean Society of Clothing and Textiles
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• v.35 no.6
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• pp.670-677
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• 2011

This study is to optimize the enzymatic processing conditions of Polylactic Acid (PLA) fiber using lipase from Porcine pancreas as an environmental technology. Hydrolytic activity dependent on pH, temperature, enzyme concentration, and treatment time, and structural change of PLA fiber were evaluated. The PLA fiber hydrolysis by lipase was maximized at 50% (o.w.f) lipase concentration $50^{\circ}C$ for 120 minutes under pH 8.5. There was a change of the protein absorbance in the treatment solution before and after the lipase treatment. In addition, there was no substantial change in the molecular and crystalline structures of PLA by lipase treatment as confirmed by DSC, XRD, and FT-IR.

• Textile Coloration and Finishing
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• v.34 no.3
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• pp.197-206
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• 2022

The purpose of this study was to confirm the optimal spinning conditions for PLA (Polylactic acid) as a fiber forming polymer. According to the melt spinning test results of PLA, the optimal spinning temperature was 258℃. However, it needs to note that relatively high pack pressure was required for spinning at 258℃. At an elevated temperature, 262℃, mono filament was broken easily due to hydrolysis of PLA at a higher temperature. In case of fiber strength, it was confirmed that the draw ratios of 2.7 to 3.3 were optimal for maximum strength of melt spun PLA. Above the draw ratio, 3.3, the strength of the PLA fibers was lowered. It was presumed that cleavage of the PLA polymer chain over maximum elongation. The heat setting temperature of GR (Godet roller) showed that the maximum strength of the PLA fibers was revealed around 100℃. The degree of crystallinity and the strength of the PLA fibers were decreased above 100℃. The optimal take-up speed (Spinning speed) was around 4,000m/min. Thermal analysis of PLA showed 170℃ and 57℃ as Tm (melting temperature) and Tg (glass transition temperature), respectively.

• Textile Coloration and Finishing
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.181-194
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• 2017

The biodegradability of polylactic acid(PLA) fabrics was evaluated by two methods: enzyme and soil degradation. Three different enzymes were selected to evaluate. Degradation times were measured at optimal enzyme treatment conditions. Biodegradation by enzymatic hydrolysis was compared with soil degradation. As a result, biodegradation created cracks on the fiber surface, which led to fiber thickening and shortening. In addition, new peak was observed at $18.5^{\circ}$ by degradation. Moreover, cracks indicating biofragmentation were confirmed by enzyme and soil degradation. By enzyme and soil degradation, the weight loss of PLA fabrics was occurred, there through, the tensile strength decreased about 25% by enzyme hydrolysis when 21 days after, and 21.67% by soil degradation when 60 days after. Furthermore, the biodegradability of PLA fabrics by enzymatic and soil degradation was investigated and enzymatic degradation was found to be superior to soil degradation of PLA fabrics. Among the three enzymes evaluated for enzymatic degradation, alcalase was the most efficient enzymes. This study established the mechanism of biodegradation of PLA nonwovens, which might prove useful in the textile industry.

• Journal of the Korean Recycled Construction Resources Institute
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.204-211
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• 2020

Poly-Lactic Acid(PLA) fiber is an eco-friendly material and is biodegradable, so it can be utilized for manufacturing porous construction materia ls with interna l pore connection. In this study, domestic PLA fiber products(0.5mm india meter, 1.0mm in length, 10mm in length) were tested for melting at high temperatures and high alkality, and they were incorporated with FA-based geopolymer. Compressive strength was obtained through high temperature curing and alkali activator, however the complete melting of the PLA fiber was not ensured. The previous study handling PLA fiber with 0.003mm in diameter was completely dissolved, but 0.5mm and 1.0mm in diameter showed 42.5% and 33.3% of dissolution ratio, respectively. In addition, the increasing fiber volume led floating fibers during curing, which had a negative effect on its workability and solubility. Although the properties of PLA fiber may vary depending on the raw materials and production conditions, PLA fiber with 0.1mm or less diameter is recommended for porous construction material.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Industry Convergence
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.47-52
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• 2013

Aim of this study is to investigate the dimensional and shrinkage characteristics of the weft knitted fabrics with Polylactic acid(PLA) knitted yarn. This PLA knitted yarn was made of the biodegradability fiber. The structure of weft knitted fabrics that was utilized for this study is the plain stitch, which is the most basic structure among all weft knitted fabrics. As the stitch length is shorter, the stitch density, courses density, and wales density are more increasing. The stitch density increased as pre-treatment process and dyeing process progressed. On the contrary, the heat setting process made it decreasing. The MR(Machine Relaxation) and DR(Dry Relaxation) standard area shrinkage were increasing as wet process progressed and as the stitch lengths are long.

• Composites Research
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.96-102
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• 2014

In this study, we fabricated jute fiber reinforced polylactic acid (PLA) composite in the form of sandwich panel structure which includes core foam of chopped jute fiber reinforced PLA and outer skin layer of continuous glass fiber reinforced PLA. Flexural properties of the composite were assessed for different jute fiber weight fractions. Density of the core foam ranged from 0.31 to 0.67 $g/cm^3$ and void content fraction 0.51 to 0.71. The maximum flexural strength was 92.7 MPa at 12.5 wt.% of jute fiber content, and the maximum flexural modulus was 7.58 GPa at 30.0 wt.%. Cost analysis was also conducted. The cost to enhance the flexural strength of the applied structure was estimated to be $0.010USD/m^3/MPa$ for 12.5 wt.% fiber content.

• Journal of the Korean Wood Science and Technology
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• v.52 no.3
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• pp.205-220
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• 2024

Various polylactic acid (PLA) blends were reinforced with untreated or silane-treated micro-sized cellulose fiber (MCF), successfully prepared as 3D printing filaments and then printed using a fused filament fabrication (FFF) 3D printer. In this study, we focused on developing 3D-printed MCF/PLA composites through silane treatment of MCF and investigating the effect of silane treatment on the various properties of FFF 3D-printed composites. Fourier transform infrared spectra confirmed the increase in hydrophobic properties of silane-treated MCF by showing the new absorption peaks at 1,100 cm^-1, 1,030 cm^-1, and 815 cm^-1 representing C-NH₂, Si-O-Si, and Si-CH₂ bonds, respectively. In scanning electron microscope images of silane-treated MCF filled PLA composites, the improved interfacial adhesion between MCF and PLA matrix was observed. The mechanical properties of the 3D-printed MCF/PLA composites with silane-treated MCF were improved compared to those of the 3D-printed MCF/PLA composites with untreated MCF. In particular, the highest tensile and flexural modulus values were observed for S-MCF10 (5,784.77 MPa) and S-MCF5 (2,441.67 MPa), respectively. The thermal stability of silane-treated MCF was enhanced by delaying the initial thermal decomposition temperature compared to untreated MCF. The thermal decomposition temperature difference at T₉₅ was around 26℃. This study suggests that the effect of silane treatment on the 3D-printed MCF/PLA composites is effective and promising.

• Composites Research
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.230-234
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• 2013

The continuous glass fiber reinforced poly-lactic acid (PLA) composite was manufactured by direct melt impregnation. The mechanical and thermal properties of continuous glass fiber reinforced PLA composite were observed. Measured properties were compared with the reference values of neat PLA and the injection molded glass fiber/ PLA composite. The continuous glass fiber reinforced PLA composite having a fiber volume fraction of 27.7% shows enhanced tensile strength of 331.1 MPa, flexural strength of 528.6 MPa, and flexural modulus of 24.0 GPa. The enhanced heat deflection temperature (HDT) and the increased cystallinity were also observed. The degree of impregnation as a function of pulling speed was also assessed. The degree of impregnation at the pulling speed of 5 m/min was over 90% in this research.

• Journal of the Korean Wood Science and Technology
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• v.43 no.4
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• pp.518-527
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• 2015

In this study, nanocomposite mats consisting of cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) and poly(lactic acide) (PLA) were electrospun from a suspension mixture consisting of tetrahydrofuran at room temperature. Morphology study showed that fibers of electrospun composite mats were aligned in three dimensional surface along the fiber long-axis. Average diameter of the electrospun fibers decreased with an increase in the CNC loading level. Tensile strength of the electrospun fibers mat decreased with an increase in the CNC loading level because of bead formation in the formed fibers and low interfacial bond strength between PLA and CNC. Meanwhile, thermal stability of the electrospun nanocomposite mats was effectively improved as the amount of CNC increased.

• Composites Research
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.1-5
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• 2011

Since the environmental problems and new stricter regulations are forcing the industries to introduce more ecological materials for their products, biodegradable materials have attracted increasing attention. Among these materials, Polylactic acid(PLA) is a promising candidate for its modulus, strength, chemical resistance. However, PLA could not be used for automobile industries for its low heat resistance and impact strength. In this study natural fibers were (jute fiber was) introduced as reinforcements in order to improve heat resistance and impact strength of PLA. Especially for improving the adhesion between PLA and jute, various surface treatments were tried. With each treatment, we verified that the impact strength of composite was improved. With annealing treatment, we found a remarkable increase of heat resistance of PLA composite.