Abstract
The need to protect our environment by eliminating plastic waste as much as possible and by recycling waste from agricultural residue, has led us to formulate composites based on polyethylene terephthalate (PET) loaded with powder from the cocoa shell. The cocoa hulls were prior treated with organosolv process to improve the fiber-matrix interaction. This research is aimed at manufacturing composite wall tiles from recycled PET reinforced with cocoa hull powder (CCP). The composites were manufactured by the melt-mixing method followed by compression molding. The mechanical, physico-chemical properties and the stability to environmental conditions were evaluated. The results showed that the incorporation of cocoa powder at a content of 20-30% in the matrix consisting of PET gave rise to a composite material with good physico-mechanical and chemical properties suitable for use in several sectors. In the construction industry, in particular as wall covering as a replacement for tiles, these x from an economic point of view cost less and compared to clays which consumes enormous amount of energy for the elaboration of ceramics. The study showed that the optimum powder weight proportion for the optimal properties of the composite were achieved at 30% powder weight proportion. The maximum tensile strength of 60.3 MPa, flexural strength of 19.5 MPa, impact strength of 10.3 MPa and water absorption 1.34% were obtained. Water absorption of the tiles increased with the cocoa powder weight. Compare to the ceramic tile this value of water absorption test is in range and show that this composite tile is suitable for use as bathroom tile.
Highlights
Plastic consumption and its latter disposal have become a problem due to the high volume of waste and the huge environmental impact they have, for the human population, and for ecological systems [1, 2– 4]
These contents are higher than that of Ba et al [25] whose work revealed a crude fiber content of 36.6% against 21.4% of lignin. Such lignin and cellulose contents immediately make cocoa shells a lignocellulosic biomass according to Balakrishnan et al [26]. All these results demonstrate the variability in the composition of cocoa shells
The paper studied the chemical stability and mechanical properties of bathroom wall composites manufactured from recycle polyethylene terephthalate mixed with cocoa hulls powder
Summary
Plastic consumption and its latter disposal have become a problem due to the high volume of waste and the huge environmental impact they have, for the human population, and for ecological systems [1, 2– 4]. In 2015, the World Bank concluded that if waste generation maintains the same dynamic without adequate actions to improve reuse, unsustainable use, and production, it will have become a health emergency issue in most countries. This is in addition to high greenhouse gas emissions by 2030. While most of the plastic available today is made from non-biodegradable sources, landfilling using plastic would mean burying the harmful material for a period of time until it naturally degrades Their degradation rate and bulky nature create enormous environmental risks. The need to give new life to the waste which would constitute a raw
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