Hybrid composite using recycled polycarbonate/waste silk fibers and wood flour

In this work, hybrid composite materials were made from the combination of waste silk fibers (WSFs) and poplar wood flour (PWF) as reinforcement, recycled polycarbonate (RPC) as polymer matrix, and silane as coupling agent. RPC was obtained from waste compact discs. The effects of fiber type and loading on the mechanical and physical properties of the composites were studied. Experimentally, it was found that the weight content of PWF is a key parameter that would substantially influence the mechanical properties of the samples. The obtained results showed that tensile and flexural strengths and moduli of the composites were significantly enhanced with the addition of biofibers in both types (fiber and flour), as compared with neat RPC. However, the increase in WSFs and PWF contents substantially improved the notched Izod impact strength, but reduced the thermal stability. The significant improvements in mechanical properties of the composites with the incorporation of WSF and PWF were further supported by scanning electron microscopy micrographs. Composites containing more fraction of WSF exhibited higher water absorption (WA) compared with PWF‐filled composites. In addition, composite with higher WSF and PWF (30 wt%) loading showed maximum WA during the whole duration of immersion. POLYM. COMPOS., 37:1667–1673, 2016. © 2014 Society of Plastics Engineers