Sisal fiber reinforced collagen composites

The collagen was crosslinked by glutaraldehyde (GTA). The influences of the GTA content，collagen concent ration and glycerol content on the swelling ratio of the modified collagen were investigated. Using the modified collagen as the matrix and sisal fiber as the reinforcement，the sisal fiber/collagen composite was prepared. The morphologies of the composites were characterized by using scanning elect ron microscopy (SEM). The influences of the sisal fiber treatment，fiber content and fiber length on the mechanical properties of the composites were discussed. It is found that the alkali treatment improves the surface structure of the sisal fiber and increases the mechanical properties of the composite. The mechanical properties were improved dramatically when the sisal fiber mass fraction is 15 % and the fiber length is 7～8 mm. The composites can be used as packaging materials.