The development of biopolymers has increased in the last decade, due to the growing awareness regarding sustainable development and the search for alternatives to petro-sourced polymers. Among these biopolymers, poly(L-lactide) (PLLA) is the most relevant and thus produced, thanks to its biosourced origin, biocompatibility and compostability under industrial conditions. It currently accounts for 31% of global biopolymer production and is widely used in biomedical and packaging fields. However, its low glass transition temperature (± 60°C) and low elongation at break (2-4 %) limit its use, particularly for durable applications. To overcome its thermo-mechanical properties, PLLA is increasingly used as a matrix in composite materials.
Among composite processing methods, thermoplastic resin transfer molding (TP-RTM) enables the production of composite materials with a high reinforcement ratio via in situ polymerization of the monomer(s) to form the matrix, leading to high reinforcement impregnation. Previous work conducted at UMET led to the production of glass fabric-reinforced and fully compostable flax fabric‑reinforced composites with PLLA matrix by TP-RTM, in a one-step solvent free process. Additionally, unprecedented glass fiber reinforced poly(L-lactide-co-ε-caprolactone) (PLCL) copolymer matrix composites, displaying 87% higher impact resistance than their PLLA matrix counterparts, were also developed. In this contribution, the production of recyclable all-thermoplastic composites (matrix and reinforcement) in a single step solvent-free process from the monomers, along with their complete characterization are presented.