Rochelle Moraes Matos
Research Subjects
Research Interests
Rochelle Moraes Matos has a total of 9 co-authors. Here are the top co-authors by number of shared publications:
- Bruno Marques Viegas
Universidade federal do Pará
1 shared publication - Carlos Alberto Brito da Silva Júnior
UFPA
1 shared publication - Edinaldo José de Sousa Cunha
School of Materials Engineering (FEMat), Federal University of Pará (UFPA), Belém 66075-110, PA, Brazil
1 shared publication - Emanuel Negrão Macêdo
Federal University of Para
1 shared publication - Gilberto Sérgio da Silva Ramos Junior
Materials Science and Engineering Program, Federal University of Pará—UFPA, Ananindeua 67130-660, Brazil
1 shared publication - José Antônio da Silva Souza
Universidade Federal do Pará, Brazil
1 shared publication
Latest Publications
- Open Access
Influence of Glycerol and SISAL Microfiber Contents on the Thermal and Tensile Properties of Thermoplastic Starch Composites
The increasing use of petroleum plastics has caused environmental damage due to the degradation time of these materials. An alternative to petroleum plastics could be thermoplastic starch (TPS). However, thermoplastic starch does not exhibit satisfactory tensile properties. The mechanical properties of thermoplastic starch can be improved by adding sisal microfibers. Thus, the objective of this study was to evaluate the influence of different levels of glycerol and sisal microfibers on the thermal and tensile properties of thermoplastic corn starch composites. The microfibers were obtained via mechanical treatment followed by chemical treatment (alkaline treatment and bleaching). The films were obtained by the casting method using commercial corn starch and glycerol as a plasticizing agent, reinforced with sisal microfibers. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) results revealed that the addition of microfibers did not change the chemical structure of the TPS matrix. The films from the samples with 18% glycerol and 10% microfibers had the highest value for the maximum tension, equal to 4.78 MPa. The thermal decomposition profile of TPS was not altered by the addition of microfibers. Our findings demonstrated the profound influence of glycerol and microfiber contents on the tensile properties of thermoplastic starch composites.
Open AccessInfluence of Glycerol and SISAL Microfiber Contents on the Thermal and Tensile Properties of Thermoplastic Starch Composites
The increasing use of petroleum plastics has caused environmental damage due to the degradation time of these materials. An alternative to petroleum plastics could be thermoplastic starch (TPS). However, thermoplastic starch does not exhibit satisfactory tensile properties. The mechanical properties of thermoplastic starch can be improved by adding sisal microfibers. Thus, the objective of this study was to evaluate the influence of different levels of glycerol and sisal microfibers on the thermal and tensile properties of thermoplastic corn starch composites. The microfibers were obtained via mechanical treatment followed by chemical treatment (alkaline treatment and bleaching). The films were obtained by the casting method using commercial corn starch and glycerol as a plasticizing agent, reinforced with sisal microfibers. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) results revealed that the addition of microfibers did not change the chemical structure of the TPS matrix. The films from the samples with 18% glycerol and 10% microfibers had the highest value for the maximum tension, equal to 4.78 MPa. The thermal decomposition profile of TPS was not altered by the addition of microfibers. Our findings demonstrated the profound influence of glycerol and microfiber contents on the tensile properties of thermoplastic starch composites.