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Updated: Apr 25, 2026
Experimental Implementation of a New Composite Fabrication Method: Exposing Bare Fibers on the Composite Surface by the Soft Layer Method
Published on: October 6, 2017
Interfacial engineering of a "soft-hard" layer interface via cardanol-mediated chemical interlocking for
Shanshan Li1, Danfeng Zhou1, Ruixue Liu1
1Hubei Provincial Key Laboratory of Plasma Chemistry and Advanced Materials, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Wuhan Institute of Technology, Wuhan, 430205, China.
Abstract:
The inherent brittleness of polylactic acid (PLA) restricts expand its functional applications. This study innovatively constructs a sustainable multilayer composite PLA-based foam featuring a "soft-hard" layer interface. The high-toughness polypropylene carbonate (PPC) was employed into the PLA matrix to regulate macromolecular chain mobility and form new covalent bonds, successfully reducing crystallinity from 50.87% to 20.94%. The 30 wt% PPC/PLA composite foam with optimized the melt index achieved 4.52 × 106 cells/cm3 of high cell density and uniform cell structure by the supercritical carbon dioxide foaming technology. Furthermore, a "chemical interlocking" mechanism was established via covalent and hydrogen bonding between the "soft" (PPC/PLA) and "hard" (PLA) layers by employing bio-derived cardanol as an interfacial compatibilizer. This engineered interface for "soft- hard" layer interface boasts a bonding strength of 9.73 MPa, effectively broadens stress transmission pathways and promotes acoustic energy dissipation. Consequently, the multilayer composite foam exhibited a 13% enhancement in compressive strength and achieved a superior low-frequency sound transmission loss of 39 dB compared to corresponding single-layer sample. This research offers a robust theoretical reference for designing high-performance of fully biodegradable functional foams.
