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.