The main proposition of this work was to develop a new high strength composite made from TPS and Eucalyptus
cellulose pulp fibers modified by SiO2 nanoparticles superficial deposition.
Improvements include the moisture adsorption decrease and higher thermal stability of composites in
relation to TPS.
Higher cellulose fiber load (10%) provided improvements in mechanical and moisture strength of the composites.
Poorer interaction between composite phases was detected when modified fibers (MF) were used; hence higher strength was found for formulations with unmodified fibers.
The modification of the fibers proposed in this work was successful, since a distinct surface characteristic of the cellulose pulp fibers was observed.
Such modification is very promising for ongoing investigations towards development and improvement of renewable composites.