FN Archimer Export Format PT J TI Protection of Flax/PLLA Biocomposites from Seawater Ageing by External Layers of PLLA BT AF LE DUIGOU, A. DEUX, J. M. DAVIES, Peter BALEY, C. AS 1:1;2:1;3:2;4:1; FF 1:;2:;3:PDG-REM-RDT-LCSM;4:; C1 LIMATB, Equipe Polymeres & Composites, Lab Ingn Mat Bretagne, F-56321 Lorient, France. IFREMER, Ctr Brest, Mat & Struct Grp, F-29280 Plouzane, France. C2 UBS, FRANCE IFREMER, FRANCE SI BREST SE PDG-REM-RDT-LCSM IN WOS Ifremer jusqu'en 2018 copubli-france copubli-univ-france IF 0.77 TC 8 UR https://archimer.ifremer.fr/doc/00044/15511/12898.pdf LA English DT Article AB Biocomposites are sensitive to water, and previous work on flax reinforced PLLA showed a large drop in mechanical properties after immersion (Le Duigou et al. 2009). Unreinforced PLLA was much less sensitive. This paper presents a strategy to reduce the influence of wet ageing by adding extra layers of PLLA on the biocomposite surface. Weight gain measurements show that a PLLA coating 350 um thick reduces weight gain by half, and biocomposite stiffness and strength after ageing are improved by 100% compared to uncoated composite behaviour. Thermal analysis and microscopic examination are used to show damage mechanisms with and without protection. Property changes are shown to be quasilinearly related to weight gain. PY 2011 SO International Journal Of Polymer Science SN 1687-9422 PU Hindawi Publishing Corporation IS 235805 UT 000307633400008 BP 1 EP 8 DI 10.1155/2011/235805 ID 15511 ER EF