Abstract
Eco-friendly composites are proposed to substitute commonly available polymers. Currently, wood–plastic composites and natural fiber-reinforced composites are gaining growing recognition in the industry, being mostly on the thermoplastic matrix. However, little data are available about the possibility of producing biocomposites on a silicone matrix. This study focused on assessing selected organic fillers’ impact (ground coffee waste (GCW), walnut shell (WS), brewers’ spent grains (BSG), pistachio shell (PS), and chestnut (CH)) on the physicochemical and mechanical properties of silicone-based materials. Density, hardness, rebound resilience, and static tensile strength of the obtained composites were tested, as well as the effect of accelerated aging under artificial seawater conditions. The results revealed changes in the material’s properties (minimal density changes, hardness variation, overall decreasing resilience, and decreased tensile strength properties). The aging test revealed certain bioactivities of the obtained composites. The degree of material degradation was assessed on the basis of the strength characteristics and visual observation. The investigation carried out indicated the impact of the filler’s type, chemical composition, and grain size on the obtained materials’ properties and shed light on the possibility of acquiring ecological silicone-based materials.
Highlights
Concern for the natural environment has forced scientists to intensify their efforts to develop new materials that will combine the required operational properties with the optimal ones in terms of the negative impact on the surroundings, as well as occupational health and safety
For composites filled with 10 wt%, the ground coffee waste-silicone composite (GCW10) density was the lowest (1.06 g/cm3 )
GCW20 (1.04 g/cm3 ) decreasing by approx. 3% compared to the control group samples, while for WS20 (1.09 g/cm3 ), it increased by approx. 2%
Summary
Concern for the natural environment has forced scientists to intensify their efforts to develop new materials that will combine the required operational properties with the optimal ones in terms of the negative impact on the surroundings, as well as occupational health and safety. In a study on the effect of introducing spent coffee waste into polypropylene, the results showed a decrease in the mechanical properties of the composite due to the high fat content and granular porous form of the wastes [11]. Addition of zinc ash reduced the composites’ abrasion by 70% compared to the unmodified silicone [21] It seems that organosilicon polymers’ specific properties will allow the application area to be extended to cover materials such as coatings that could constitute a bioactive substrate, which the authors took upon investigating. This study’s objective was to assess the impact of different organic fillers (ground coffee waste, walnut shell, brewers’ spent grains, pistachio shell, and chestnut) on the physicochemical and mechanical properties of silicone composites used as coating materials for structural elements. This is due to the potential application to environmental protective coatings
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
