Multicomponent reinforcing system for poly(butylene succinate): Composites containing poly(l-lactide) electrospun mats loaded with graphene

Given the increasing relevance of poly(butylene succinate) (PBS) and poly(l-lactide) (PLLA) as bio-based thermoplastics, and the need to improve the properties of such polymers, a novel multicomponent reinforcing system was devised. Nanofibrous electrospun mats of PLLA containing graphene were incorporated into the PBS matrix via the conventional thermo-pressed molding technique. The final biocomposites were characterized in terms of morphological characteristics via SEM and STEM; TGA and DSC were used to investigate the thermal properties and tensile testing used to assess the mechanical properties. The results showed that PBS matrix does not have modified thermal behaviour in the presence of PLLA and graphene. On the contrary, the tensile strength of the composites was gradually enhanced with the addition of PLLA mats, and the improvement was found to be proportional to the number of PLLA layers and to the amount of graphene added. The huge potential of this multicomponent reinforcing system is highlighted by the 21% increment in tensile strength.