Physico-mechanical characterization of poly (butylene succinate) and date palm fiber-based biodegradable composites

The main objective of this research was to study the influence of an enzymatic treatment process of date palm fibers on their chemical and morphological properties as well as the physical and mechanical characteristics of composites filled with raw and treated fibers. To this end, three extraction approaches were considered (a combination of xylanase and pectinase enzymes, xylanase enzymes followed by a pectinase one and pectinase enzyme followed by xylanase). Chemical and morphological analyses were performed on raw and treated fibers. The tensile test of the manufactured composites was achieved, using extrusion and injection molding process. These composites were also subjected to water absorption tests. The results showed that non-cellulosic components decreased after enzymatic treatments while the cellulose content increased significantly. The scanning electron microscope morphological analyses showed that the extraction with the combination of these enzymes is very effective as a fibrillation phenomenon. Composites with high rigidity were observed in the case of enzymatically treated fibers. These composites reveal a better moisture resistance compared to the untreated fibers.