Adhesive performance of polysulfone and luffa fibre reinforced polyvinyl acetate biocomposite

This work reports the fabrication of an eco-friendly adhesive material by modifying a polyvinyl acetate (PVAc) matrix with polysulfone (PSU) and luffa fibre (LF) using a solvent dissolution method. Weight ratios (5, 10, 20, and 40% w/w) of PSU were introduced into the PVAc matrix and dissolved accordingly. A fixed amount of LF (5% w/w) was incorporated into each of the formulated PVAc–PSU mixtures and stirred continuously at 40 °C to form a uniformly dispersed slurry. The solvent in each slurry was allowed to evaporate at room temperature, resulting in the formation of the bio-composite films, which were subsequently labelled as (95PVAc/5PSU/5LF), (90PVAc/10PSU/5LF), (80PVAc/20PSU/5LF), and (60PVAc/40PSU/5LF), respectively. The neat PAVc with zero amounts of the modifiers (PSU and LF) was designated (100PVAc/0PSU/0LS). The biocomposites, along with pure PVAc, were analyzed using spectroscopic and characterization techniques, including Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), 3D Laser Profilometry, Energy-Dispersive X-ray (EDX) analysis, and Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA). Finally, the mechanical test was performed using the ASTM D1002 standard method. The mechanical properties showed that the presence of modifiers in the PVAc matrix improved its adhesive performance. The results suggest that these bio-composite materials hold significant potential for future adhesive technologies, where the adoption of eco-friendly resources will be crucial for environmental protection.