Enhancing Insight into Photochemical Weathering of Flax and Miscanthus: Exploring Diverse Chemical Compositions and Composite Materials
Résumé
The accelerated weathering of flax and miscanthus fibers possessing distinct chemical
compositions was investigated. The chosen fibers included raw, extractive-free (EF) and delignified
samples (x3), alone and used as fillers in a stabilized polypropylene blue matrix (PP). Modifications
in both color and the chemical composition of the fibers throughout the weathering process under
ultraviolet (UV) light were meticulously tracked and analyzed by spectrophotometry and attenuated
total reflectance with Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR). The inherent nature
and composition of the selected fibers led to varied color-change tendencies. Raw and EF flax
fibers exhibited lightening effects, while raw and EF miscanthus fibers demonstrated darkening
effects. Extractives exhibited negligible influence on the color alteration of both flax and miscanthus
fibers. This disparity between the fibers correlates with their respective lignin content and type, and
the significant formation of carbonyl (C=O) groups in miscanthus. Better stability was noted for
delignified flax fibers. A comparative study was achieved by weathering the PP matrix containing
these various fibers. Contrary to the weathering observations on individual fibers, it was noted that
composites containing raw and EF flax fibers exhibited significant color degradation. The other fibercontaining formulations showed enhanced color stability when compared to the pure PP matrix. The
study highlights that the UV stability of composites depends on their thermal history. As confirmed
by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), fiber degradation during extrusion may affect UV stability, a
factor that is not apparent when fibers alone are subjected to UV aging.
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