LAUSR

Bio-based laminate composites, consisting of alternatively stacked poly(lactic acid) (PLA) sheet and randomly oriented areca fiber mat, were processed via film stacking technique (FST). FST was chosen as it is a commercially viable, low energy-intensive process for fabricating fiber-reinforced composite, thereby advocating environmental sustainability. Laminate composites exhibited mechanical strength of 6.5 MPa at 16 wt % fiber loading. Crystallinity of as-received PLA sheets was found to be 26% due to the presence of ∼30 wt % inorganic filler, and showed further enhancement to 50% upon the addition of 22 wt % areca fiber. Dynamic mechanical analysis showed higher glass transition temperature (83 °C) for PLA sheets, mainly due to the presence of higher filler content. This work demonstrates the use of bio-based laminate composite processed at the lowest possible temperatures as viable alternatives to thermoplastic polyolefins in automobiles. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2017, 135, 45795.