Abstract
Full Paper: Compression moulded laminates based on a gelatin or a blended gelatin/starch matrix reinforced by fabrics (linen or silk) were prepared. Three linen or five silk sheets with a powdered matrix between them were compression moulded at 180degreesC for several minutes. In addition, cross-linked laminates were obtained by using methylenedi(p-phenyl) diisocyanate as a cross-linking agent expected to obtain an improved integrity between the matrix and the reinforcing elements. In this way a total of ten uncross-linked and cross-linked samples differing in the type of the matrix (gelatin or gelatin/starch) and the type of the reinforcing element (linen or silk), both uncross-linked and cross-linked, were obtained. All samples were characterized by means of mechanical testing (Young's modulus, tensile strength, elongation at break and impact strength), as reported in Part 1 of this study. In the present Part 2, the same ten samples were artificially weathered, and changes in both the mechanical properties and the specific wear rate with aging time were followed. It was found that the majority of the mechanical parameters generally became worse with aging time; only the Young's modulus and the tensile strength remained on the same order of magnitude for all laminates. The linen reinforced laminates showed much higher values of the deformation at break, the impact strength and the wear resistance in comparison to the silk reinforced laminates. A similar tendency was found for the sliding wear tests against smooth steel counterparts. A reinforcement of gelatin or gelatin/starch with linen was much more effective in improving the laminate wear resistance than a reinforcement with silk. In addition, the abrasion resistance of neat gelatin was found to be much higher than that of the gelatin/starch blend, as evaluated by the Taber index.