Thermal Analysis and Tribological Characterization of Bamboo-fiber-reinforced Polylactic Acid Composites

Abstract

Bamboo-fiber-reinforced polylactic acid (B-PLA) composites have emerged as promising materials for sustainable engineering applications due to their biodegradability, favorable mechanical properties, and renewability. This work systematically evaluated the thermal behavior and tribological performance of B-PLA composites using methods such as Vicat softening temperature measurement (VST), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and abrasive wear testing under varying loads, distances, and abrasive types. The results demonstrated that bamboo fiber reinforcement significantly increased the Vicat softening temperature compared with neat PLA, indicating enhanced thermal resistance. Thermogravimetric analysis revealed that the maximum degradation temperatures of the composites (303 to 317 °C) were comparable to neat PLA, confirming good thermal stability without phase separation. Tribological evaluation showed that specimens fabricated at a nozzle temperature of 245 °C exhibited approximately 37.5% lower wear mass loss than those fabricated at 195 °C, owing to improved interfacial bonding and higher surface hardness. Furthermore, Al₂O₃ abrasives produced the highest wear because of their greater hardness and density, while SEM observations confirmed reduced abrasive embedding and improved fiber-matrix adhesion in high-temperature processed composites. These findings demonstrate that optimized FDM processing significantly enhanced the thermal and wear performance of sustainable bamboo/PLA composites.