Abstract
Polymer composites are fabricated by incorporating fillers into a polymer matrix. The intent for addition of fillers is to improve the physical, mechanical, chemical and rheological properties of the composite. This study reports on a unique polymer composite using hydrochar, synthesised by microwave-assisted hydrothermal carbonization of rice husk, as filler in polylactide matrix. The polylactide/hydrochar composites were fabricated by incorporating hydrochar in polylactide at 5%, 10%, 15% and 20 wt% by melt processing in a Haake rheomix at 170 °C. Both the neat polylactide and polylactide/hydrochar composite were characterized for mechanical, structural, thermal and rheological properties. The tensile modulus of polylactide/hydrochar composites was improved from 2.63 GPa (neat polylactide) to 3.16 GPa, 3.33 GPa, 3.54 GPa, and 4.24 GPa after blending with hydrochar at 5%, 10%, 15%, and 20%, respectively. Further, the incorporation of hydrochar had little effect on storage modulus (G′) and loss modulus (G″). The findings of this study reported that addition of hydrochar improves some characteristics of polylactide composites suggesting the potential of hydrochar as filler for polymer/hydrochar composites.
Highlights
Concerns about a future scarcity of petroleum-based resources[1,2] and environmental degradation caused by use of such sources[3] have drawn attention towards substitution with bio-based materials in a variety of applications
The thermal properties were measured using thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and modulated differential scanning calorimetry (MDSC), the mechanical properties were analysed through an Instron 4467 universal testing machine, the structural characterization were carried out using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infra-red (FTIR) spectroscopy, and x-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis and an advanced rheometric expansion system (ARES) was used for rheological testing of polylactide/ hydrochar composite
It can be observed that the neat polylactide had a smooth surface whereas the polylactide/hydrochar composites showed fractured surfaces with irregular voids and cracks
Summary
Concerns about a future scarcity of petroleum-based resources[1,2] and environmental degradation caused by use of such sources[3] have drawn attention towards substitution with bio-based materials in a variety of applications. The reinforcement of biomass-based materials using biochar or hydrochar as a filler for synthesis of biomass-based polymer composites is of great interest in polymer research recently. Research has been conducted for incorporation of biochar in different polymer matrices to improve their thermal, mechanical and electrical properties. Research on hydrocar synthesis from hydrothermal carbonization is at an early stage and most studies have focused mainly on the effect of parameters used for the carbonization on the yield and the characteristics of hydrochar produced[13]. Production of hydrochar (having a number of applications) from rice husk is a way to suggest its effective utilization. The main objective of this study was to utilize hydrochar produced from microwave hydrothermal carbonization of rice husk as filler for the development of polylactide/hydrochar biocomposites. The thermal properties were measured using thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and modulated differential scanning calorimetry (MDSC), the mechanical properties were analysed through an Instron 4467 universal testing machine, the structural characterization were carried out using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infra-red (FTIR) spectroscopy, and x-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis and an advanced rheometric expansion system (ARES) was used for rheological testing of polylactide/ hydrochar composite
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