| Summary: | In this research the biodegradable composite was developed by blending of poly (lactic acid) (PLA), synthetic polymer (PP) and hybrid fillers of nanoclay and bamboo charcoal powder (BC). The effects of BC content (3, 6 and 9 % by weight) on the composite properties of PLA/PP nanocomposites were investigated. The matrix was processed by blending PLA/PP in a weight ratio of 75/25 wt.% and reinforced with 3 wt.% nanoclay and BC in the extruder. The tensile strength and strain results were decreased as increasing the BC loading from 3 to 9 wt.%. However, Young’s modulus results increased from 983 MPa to 1855 MPa as increasing the BC loading to 9 wt.%. Increasing BC to 9 wt.% also resulting in slightly increased in Izod impact strength to 1.9 kJ/m2. TGA analysis indicated that incorporation of 9 wt.% BC increased the thermal stability of PLA/PP nanocomposites. From DMA analysis, the storage modulus increased with increasing the BC content. Results also indicate that the glass transition temperature, Tg of the hybrid composites 3 and 6 wt.% BC shifted towards a higher temperature compared to the composites without addition of BC. Morphological observation under TEM shows, there were certain intercalation of the silicate layers for both samples of nanocomposites and hybrid with 3 wt.% BC. SEM analysis shows, the surface roughness was increased as BC loading increased. In conclusion, the results showed that for hybrid composites prepared with an addition of BC content of 3 wt% exhibited the best overall performance. © Malaysian Journal of Microscopy (2023). All rights reserved.
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