• • Tensile strength of PLA increased from 58.2 MPa to 72.4 MPa (24.4% improvement) at 3 wt% modified CNF loading, enabling use in structural applications where neat PLA fails.
• • Young's modulus rose from 2.1 GPa to 3.0 GPa (42.9% increase) at 3 wt% CNF, providing greater stiffness for load-bearing components.
• • Thermal stability improved: T5% (temperature at 5% weight loss) increased from 315°C to 338°C at 3 wt% CNF, extending the processing window and service temperature range.
• • Glass transition temperature (Tg) shifted from 58°C to 63°C at 3 wt% CNF, indicating enhanced dimensional stability under elevated temperatures, critical for automotive under-hood applications.