Effects of Fiber Aspect Ratio and Surface Modification on Wheat Straw/ PBS Composite Properties

ABSTRACT As a rich and renewable natural biomass fiber with the potential to be used as a raw material for organic chemical production, wheat straw has not been fully utilized and is often burned as an energy fuel, resulting in resource waste and serious environmental problems. In this study, wheat straw and biodegradable plastic polybutylene succinate (PBS) were used as raw materials to prepare wheat straw/PBS composites with different morphologies through melt blending and injection molding processes. The effects of the length‐to‐diameter ratio of wheat straw powder/fiber, fiber content, and different modification schemes on the comprehensive properties of PBS‐based composites were investigated. The results showed that the high aspect ratio wheat straw fiber (HWF)/PBS composites had the best comprehensive properties. The addition of modifiers effectively improved the thermal and mechanical properties of the composites, and the interface between the fibers and the matrix was more closely bonded. Among them, the modification effect of 0.5 wt% hydroxylated multi‐walled carbon nanotubes (OH‐MWCNT) was the best. The research results are of great significance for the utilization of straw resources as raw materials and the development of wheat straw fiber/PBS composites.