Potential of Durian Skin Fiber as Reinforcing Agent in PLA Composite

Abstract

Durio zibethinus Murray, or durian, is seasonal fruit mainly available in tropical Asia. Currently, durian skin is a waste material and there is no specific utilization. Therefore, this study investigated the potential of durian skin waste as reinforcement fiber for biodegradable polymers and green composites. As for preliminary investigation, density, moisture content and dimension of durian skin fiber (DSF) were determined. Density of DSF was about 1.243 g/cm3, moisture content in the ranges of 7.92 to 9.10 % whereas aspect ratio in average of 5.53. DSF was then incorporated into polylactic acid (PLA) for the fabrication of biocomposite. PLA and DSF were compounded using Haake twin screw extruder and then injection moulded. The effect of durian skin fiber content from 0, 10, 20, 30 and 40 wt% on the tensile properties of of DSF-PLA composites was studied. It was found that DSF content at 30 wt% produced the highest tensile strength and tensile modulus. Observation under scanning electron microscope (SEM) revealed the surface morphology of tensile fracture specimen.