Abstract
In this article, rice husk fiber/polyvinyl chloride composites were prepared and analyzed. The optimal composition of mixed-particle-size fiber-reinforced composites was determined through orthogonal experimentation. The physical, mechanical, and thermal properties of the mixed-particle-size fiber-reinforced composites were compared to unprocessed (100 mesh) rice husk fiber/polyvinyl chloride composites. The surface microscopic appearances of the unprocessed and final composites were observed via laser microscope. Long-term accelerated soil aging caused micro-cracks to appear on the surfaces of the composites. Interfacial adhesion was observed via scanning electron microscopy. The results indicated that mixed-particle-size fibers can better fill interfacial gaps, leading to strong interfacial adhesion. Furthermore, the addition of mixed-particle-size fibers improves the soil aging resistance of composites. The hardness, flexural strength, impact strength, and first onset pyrolysis temperature (after 0 days) increase from 50 HRR, 35.2 MPa, 3.19 KJ/m2, and 258.5°C to 55 HRR, 39.4 MPa, 3.86 KJ/m2, and 261.2°C, respectively. However, the mass loss rate and thickness expansion rate (after 21 days) decrease from 2.9% and 0.79% to 2.21% and 0.74%, respectively. In general, the addition of mixed-particle-size fibers improves the ultimate properties of composites under soil aging conditions.
Highlights
In recent years, wood–plastic composites (WPCs) have been rapidly developed as standard commercial outdoor materials
The characterization of three different particle sizes (150, 500, and 1000 μm) of rice husk fibers (RHFs)/polyvinyl chloride (PVC) composites (RHRC) was performed in Crespo et al.[21] and the results indicated that 150 μm RHRC have the best mechanical properties
To study the effects of soil aging on the biodegradation performance of WPCs, we selected an orthogonal experimental design based on an L9 (34) orthogonal table
Summary
Wood–plastic composites (WPCs) have been rapidly developed as standard commercial outdoor materials. The composition of WPCs includes natural fibers, plastics, and additives.[1,2] Natural fiber/polyvinyl chloride (PVC) composites have many advantages, such as low water absorption (WA) and excellent humidity resistance.[3,4,5] in outdoor applications, these materials often face challenges from moisture,[6,7] fungi,[8,9] ultraviolet light,[10,11] xenon lamps,[12,13] seawater, and acid rain,[14,15] which attack the surfaces of materials. The results have revealed the degradation of mechanical properties, color lightening, weight loss, and College of Engineering, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China
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