This article is focused on studying the effect of the reprocessing cycles on the mechanical, thermal, and aesthetic properties of a biocomposite. This process is based on starch thermoplastic polymer (TPS) filled with 20 wt% almond shell powder (ASP) and epoxidized linseed oil (ELO) as a compatibilizing additive. To do so, the biocomposite was prepared in a twin-screw extruder, molded by injection, and characterized in terms of its mechanical, thermal, and visual properties (according to CieLab) and the melt flow index (MFI). The analyses carried out were tensile, flexural, Charpy impact tests, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The effects of the reprocessing were also studied for the biodegradable unfilled TPS polymer. The results showed that TPS and TPS/ASP biocomposite suffer changes progressively on the properties studied after each reprocessing cycle. Furthermore, it was observed that the addition of ASP intensified these effects regarding TPS. However, in spite of the progressive degradation in both cases, it is technically feasible to reprocess the material at least three times without needing to incorporate virgin material.
Manufacturing engineering is responsible for the design, development and improvement of production systems that convert raw materials into finished products. Each product is designed to be sold to numerous potential consumers, so the importance of the stimuli surrounding the product in packaging, and at the point of sale, cannot be underestimated. The environmental, social, and ethical commitments of industrial design (and their implications in manufacturing) are establishing universal principles in a common effort to foster a more harmonious and sustainable society. This work aims to analyse, through eye tracking biometric techniques, the level of saturation of information generated by the concentration of stimuli in packaging and the retail channel, possibly creating a lower level of attention towards the product itself. This research confirms that every product associated with a manufacturing process seeks to respond to a need, so the associated responsibility is significant. This would suggest that designers incorporate knowledge from multiple fields, including marketing strategies, design, research and development, basic knowledge related to production, integration management and communication skills. More than 50% of consumer attention is dedicated to other elements/items that accompany the product, so it is important to consider this in the design phase. The results can be used to improve efficiency in both generating product attention, and stimulus design for the purchasing process.
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