The Reinforcing Effect of Waste Corrugated Paper Fiber on Polylactic Acid

To improve the recycle value of waste paper and promote circular economic development, waste corrugated paper fiber (WCPF) was used as a reinforcing agent to prepare waste corrugated paper fiber/polylactic acid (WCPF/PLA) composites via dichloromethane solvent which can be reused. The WCPF in the waste corrugated paper is extracted by beating in a Valli beating machine for different time lengths and grinding in a disc grinder. The effects of beating time and the content of WCPF on the microstructure, mechanical properties, thermal decomposition process, and crystallization properties of the WCPF/PLA composite were studied. The result shows that the WCPF can be well separated from each other and can be evenly dispersed in the PLA matrix. When 25 wt% WCPF which was beat for 30 min was used, the composite has the greatest improvement in tensile property. This study provides a new process for the recycling of waste paper in the application of polymer reinforcement. The research on waste paper fiber and degradable polymer composite is of great significance for reducing environmental pollutants and developing circular economy.