Industrial Application of Animal Manure Filled Thermoplastics

Abstract

Animal agriculture is under increasing pressure to produce more and more meat, milk and eggs giving rise to an increasing amount of manures. In the past, manures have been viewed as a waste byproduct used mainly as a fertilizer that has a value of 2 to 4 cents per dry pound. We need to change our view of manures from waste to asset. Destroying manures by burning or lagooning may solve the environmental problem but it does nothing to add to animal income. One of the alternatives is to use animal manures in industrial products. Based on past research at the Forest Products Laboratory in the area of wood and agricultural flours and fibers as fillers in thermoplastics, this research program uses swine and cow manures as reinforcing fillers in HDPE and HDPP. This is a win-win situation as it increases the value of the animal manures, decreases the cost and improves mechanical properties of the thermoplastic composites. A 40% blend of dry swine manure with HDPE and 2% MAPE gives a composite with MOE in bending of 1.31 GPa and MOR of 34.7 MPa as compared to unfilled HDPE MOE of 0.75 GPa and MOR of 15.1 MPa. A 40% blend of dry dairy manure with HDPE and 2% MAPE gives a composite gives MOE in bending of 2.18 GPa and MOR 21.9 MPa as compared to 40% pine flour with 2% MAPE MOE 2.98 and MOR 33.4 MPa.