Influence of the amount and position of cellulose in plant stems on the behavior of plant stem reinforced-polymer composites

Abstract : Polymer composites prepared with a polymer matrix reinforced by elongated, broken fragments of plant stems can in some cases favorably compete with the same composite reinforced by glass fibers. However, the mechanical properties of the final composite are directly related to the properties of the stem fragments. Cellulose is the main polymer controlling the mechanical strength of these fragments. Two plants will be studied, miscanthus and sorghum. We will show that amount of cellulose in the stem fragments depends on the preparation methods of these fragments. We will report the correlations which exists between the amount of cellulose and its location within the different tissues of the stem and the mechanical properties of the final composite product.