Abstract
Agrowaste biocomposites were obtained using peanut husk filler and LDPE. The effects of agrofiller content and compatibilizer on the mechanical and biodegradable properties of the composites have been discussed. Mechanical and biodegradable behaviour of LDPE became noticeably worse when it was blended with agrofiller, due to poor compatibility between the two phases. The presence of MAPE in the composites and its compatibility with the agrofiller, led to much better dispersion and homogeneity of agrofiller in the matrix and consequently to improved properties. Water absorption and thickness swelling indices increased with increasing filler content and were reduced on addition of MAPE. Furthermore, weight loss of composites via enzymatic degradation showed that both composites were biodegradable even at high levels of filler addition. However, composites with MAPE exhibited lower weight loss.
Highlights
The geometric increase in the prices of raw materials, especially those obtained from oil and natural gas sector, and the attendant obnoxious effects of their use on the environment have triggered the strong desire in the use of raw materials from botanical resources partly or wholly for the production of plastic products
The addition of peanut husk filler reduced the tensile strength which continuously decreased with increasing filler content (Figure 1)
The addition of Maleated polyethylene (MAPE) improved the tensile strength when compared with the corresponding peanut husk filler (PHF)/low density polyethylene (LDPE) composites
Summary
The geometric increase in the prices of raw materials, especially those obtained from oil and natural gas sector, and the attendant obnoxious effects of their use on the environment have triggered the strong desire in the use of raw materials from botanical resources partly or wholly for the production of plastic products. The use of agrowaste fillers in making polymer composites is necessitated due to the competitiveness of natural fiber with consumable crops for land use These agrowastes are abundant, cheap, renewable, and completely biodegradable. Agrowaste fillers when used to reinforce the composites offer reasonable benefits when compared to mineral fillers [8, 9]: light weight, being strong and rigid, being environmentally friendly, being economical, being renewable, and being abundant. These agrowaste composites offer excellent engineering properties and provide a plausible environmental solution to handle municipal waste disposal
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