Characterization of surface modified flax fibers and their biocomposites with PHB

Abstract

Abstract Flax fiber was treated with acetic anhydride or with ethylene plasma to improve adhesion with poly(3‐hydroxybutyrate) (PHB). The flax fiber surface became hydrophobic by the surface treatments. The ethylene plasma treated flax fiber has better thermal resistance and shows higher interfacial adhesion strength in flax/PHB biocomposite than the chemically modified flax fiber with acetic anhydride. Optimum conditions of the ethylene plasma treatment were found to be 0.5 cm 3 /sec of the ethylene flow rate and 50 W of the plasma power with 5 min of the treatment time.