Composites of Recycled Polypropylene from Cotton Swab Waste with Pyrolyzed Rice Husk

Abstract

The manufacture of consumer goods from thermoplastic polymers leads to a considerable amount of scrap or off-specifications products, generating post-industrial waste that is typically landfilled. In present study, polypropylene (PP) wastes from the cotton swabs manufacture were used to the preparation of polymeric composites with agro-industrial waste of rice husk (RH). The RH was employed in the natural form as well as it was also treated by controlled pyrolysis for surface modification before incorporation to the PP. The PP/RH composites prepared by extrusion with contents from 2 to 20 wt% of non-pyrolyzed (NRH) and pyrolyzed (PRH) rice husk were submitted to the injection molding for preparation of tensile and impact specimens and characterized by mechanical testing, thermal analysis, melt flow rate, infrared spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy. The controlled pyrolysis treatment on the RH caused significant changes in the thermal, chemical, rheological and mechanical properties of the PP/RH composites, mainly on the mechanical properties Young’s modulus, elongation at break and impact resistance that presented variation up to 100% when compared the composites containing NRH. The recycled PP/RH composites present suitable properties for several applications such as wood-plastic, furniture, doors and are an alternative for decrease the pollution generated by cotton swab waste.