The mechanical properties, biocompatibility and biodegradability of chestnut shell fibre and polyhydroxyalkanoate composites

The mechanical properties, biocompatibility and biodegradability of composite materials made from chestnut shell fibre (CSF) and poly(hydroxyalkanoate) (PHA), as well as CSF and glycidyl methacrylate-grafted PHA (PHA-g-GMA), were evaluated. Composites formed from PHA-g-GMA/CSF were found to have noticeably superior mechanical properties compared with those of PHA/CSF. CSF could be homogeneously dispersed in the PHA-g-GMA matrix as a result of condensation reactions. Human foreskin fibroblasts (FBs) were seeded on these two series of composites to characterise the biocompatibility properties. FB proliferation and collagen production on the PHA/CSF series of composites were superior to that on the PHA-g-GMA/CSF composites. PHA-g-GMA/CSF was found to be more water resistant than PHA/CSF, although the weight loss of both composites buried in Rhizobium radiobacter compost indicated that both were biodegradable, especially at high levels of CSF substitution. Furthermore, the PHA/CSF and PHA-g-GMA/CSF composites were more biodegradable than pure PHA.