| In time of a growing environmental awareness, biodegradable fibers and biodegradable polymers based on regenerating raw materials are gaining ground. In the music industry, the traditional way of making guitars utilizes valuable rare mahogany wood species, which are already endangered. Efforts need to be made to develop a renewable and sustainable material to take place of high quality wood.Polylactide Acid (PLA) is biodegradable. And with merits of excellent biocompatibility, high strength, workability and plasticity, it is a proper polymer for composite matrix. Natural plant fibers possess the benefits of low price, high strength, and also biodegradability. As the reinforcement of PLA, it does not only improve the properties of the materials, but also endows the composite with fully-biodegradability. Flax and Hemp have a better strength and stiffness comparing to other natural fibers, also with the longest fiber length. So in the study, Flax/Hemp plant fibers reinforced Polylactide Acid (PLA) composites was developed and discussed for its use in acoustic instrument industry.In this research, green composites with different fiber volume fractions and different treatments-have been successfully developed using a film stacking method. After calculating the speed of sound in the material by applying tensile modulus, flexural modulus and material density, observing the fracture surface by scanning electron microscope (SEM), analyzing the damping property of the materials by Dynamic Mechanical Analysis (DMA) testing, similar properties are shown in higher fiber volume fraction, alkali-treated plant fiber reinforced composites compared to the mahogany wood in both resonance and fidelity aspects. Therefore, these new eco-friendly composites, with lower cost and sustainable advantages, are highly qualified to be a substitution for rare wood, and they present a promising future to be applied in the acoustic musical instrument industry. |
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