This study discussed the impact of pectinase treatment on the properties of starch/PBAT composite, using two types of plant fibers such as coconut coir and bamboo fibers. The fibers underwent pretreatment with pectinase assisted by ultrasonics, and the composite was subsequently produced through hot pressing. The research focused on evaluating the thermal properties, mechanical properties, moisture absorption properties, and microstructure of the resulting composites. The findings revealed that the inclusion of pectinase‐treated plant fibers significantly enhanced the composite's strength. In particular, the bending strength of the composite with 15 wt% bamboo fibers exhibited the highest improvement, registering a 65% increase compared to the composite without added fibers. Additionally, the linear expansion coefficient of the plant fiber composite treated with pectinase was notably lower than that without added fibers. Among these, the linear expansion coefficient of the 15 wt% coir fiber composite decreased by 73.4% in the temperature range of 40–80°C compared to the composite without added fibers. The observed effects were attributed to the pectinase treatment, which proved effective in disrupting the network structure of cell walls, eliminating pectin components from fibers, and facilitating enhanced interaction between the fillers and the polymer matrix.Highlights The inclusion of fibers significantly enhanced the composite's strength. 10 wt% of bamboo fibers had a greater impact on the composite's strength than coir fiber. The linear expansion coefficient of the plant fiber composite decreased. The composite with 5 wt% bamboo fiber demonstrated excellent moisture resistance. The pectinase treatment enhanced interaction between fillers and matrix.

中文翻译：

---

果胶酶处理植物纤维增强淀粉/PBAT复合材料机械和热膨胀性能的改善

本研究使用椰子纤维和竹纤维等两种植物纤维，讨论了果胶酶处理对淀粉/PBAT 复合材料性能的影响。纤维在超声波辅助下用果胶酶进行预处理，随后通过热压生产复合材料。该研究的重点是评估所得复合材料的热性能、机械性能、吸湿性能和微观结构。研究结果表明，加入果胶酶处理的植物纤维可显着增强复合材料的强度。特别是，含有 15 wt% 竹纤维的复合材料的弯曲强度表现出最高的改进，与不添加纤维的复合材料相比，弯曲强度提高了 65%。此外，经果胶酶处理的植物纤维复合材料的线膨胀系数明显低于未添加纤维的植物纤维复合材料。其中，与未添加纤维的复合材料相比，15 wt%椰壳纤维复合材料的线膨胀系数在40-80°C的温度范围内降低了73.4%。观察到的效果归因于果胶酶处理，事实证明果胶酶处理可以有效破坏细胞壁的网络结构，消除纤维中的果胶成分，并促进增强填料和聚合物基质之间的相互作用。 纤维的加入显着提高了复合材料的强度。 10 wt% 的竹纤维对复合材料强度的影响比椰壳纤维更大。 植物纤维复合材料的线膨胀系数降低。 含有 5 wt% 竹纤维的复合材料表现出优异的防潮性。 果胶酶处理增强了填料和基质之间的相互作用。