Characterization and Biodegradability of Rice Husk-Filled Polymer Composites

Yap, Saw Yin; Sreekantan, Srimala; Hassan, Mohd Sayuti; Sudesh, Kumar; Ong, Ming Thong

doi:10.3390/polym13010104

Cited by 36 publications

(23 citation statements)

References 48 publications

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“…The beneficial effects of maleic anhydride on polymer composites’ compatibility were repeatedly reported in the literature, both for lignocellulose [ 74 , 75 ] and mineral [ 76 ] fillers. Such an effect is associated with the partial “crosslinking” of material due to generation of covalent bonds [ 77 ].…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 68%

Wastes from Agricultural Silage Film Recycling Line as a Potential Polymer Materials

et al. 2021

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The recycling of plastics is currently one of the most significant industrial challenges. Due to the enormous amounts of plastic wastes generated by various industry branches, it is essential to look for potential methods for their utilization. In the presented work, we investigated the recycling potential of wastes originated from the agricultural films recycling line. Their structure and properties were analyzed, and they were modified with 2.5 wt % of commercially available compatibilizers. The mechanical and thermal performance of modified wastes were evaluated by tensile tests, thermogravimetric analysis, and differential scanning calorimetry. It was found that incorporation of such a small amount of modifiers may overcome the drawbacks caused by the presence of impurities. The incorporation of maleic anhydride-grafted compounds enhanced the tensile strength of wastes by 13–25%. The use of more ductile compatibilizers—ethylene-vinyl acetate and paraffin increased the elongation at break by 55–64%. The presence of compatibilizers also reduced the stiffness of materials resulting from the presence of solid particles. It was particularly emphasized for styrene-ethylene-butadiene-styrene and ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymers, which caused up to a 20% drop of Young’s modulus. Such effects may facilitate the further applications of analyzed wastes, e.g., in polymer film production. Thermal performance was only slightly affected by compatibilization. It caused a slight reduction in polyethylene melting temperatures (up to 2.8 °C) and crystallinity degree (up to 16%). For more contaminated materials, the addition of compatibilizers caused a minor reduction in the decomposition onset (up to 6 °C). At the same time, for the waste after three washing cycles, thermal stability was improved. Moreover, depending on the desired properties and application, materials do not have to go through the whole recycling line, simplifying the process, reducing energy and water consumption. The presented results indicate that it is possible to efficiently use the materials, which do not have to undergo the whole recycling process. Despite the presence of impurities, they could be applied in the manufacturing of products which do not require exceptional mechanical performance.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 68%

Wastes from Agricultural Silage Film Recycling Line as a Potential Polymer Materials

et al. 2021

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“…This reduces the consumption of expensive plastic while using waste from other economic sectors [72,73]. Examples of such waste fillers used to produce PBS matrix biocomposites include ground rice husks [74], wheat bran [75], pistachio [76] and peanut shells [77], almond kernels [78], or even wine lees [79], as well as apple [80], and grape pomace [81]. The presence of LCF significantly modifies the physical, mechanical, thermal, and processing properties of such compositions [72,[82][83][84].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Artificial Ageing, Chemical Resistance, and Biodegradation of Biocomposites from Poly(Butylene Succinate) and Wheat Bran

2021

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The results of comprehensive studies on accelerated (artificial) ageing and biodegradation of polymer biocomposites on PBS matrix filled with raw wheat bran (WB) are presented in this paper. These polymer biocomposites are intended for the manufacture of goods, in particular disposable packaging and disposable utensils, which decompose naturally under the influence of biological agents. The effects of wheat bran content within the range of 10–50 wt.% and extruder screw speed of 50–200 min−1 during the production of biocomposite pellets on the resistance of the products to physical, chemical, and biological factors were evaluated. The research included the determination of the effect of artificial ageing on the changes of structural and thermal properties by infrared spectra (FTIR), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and thermogravimetric analysis (TG). They showed structural changes—disruption of chains within the ester bond, which occurred in the composition with 50% bran content as early as after 250 h of accelerated ageing. An increase in the degree of crystallinity with ageing was also found to be as high as 48% in the composition with 10% bran content. The temperature taken at the beginning of weight loss of the compositions studied was also lowered, even by 30 °C at the highest bran content. The changes of mechanical properties of biocomposite samples were also investigated. These include: hardness, surface roughness, transverse shrinkage, weight loss, and optical properties: colour and gloss. The ageing hardness of the biocomposite increased by up to 12%, and the surface roughness (Ra) increased by as much as 2.4 µm at the highest bran content. It was also found that ageing causes significant colour changes of the biocomposition (ΔE = 7.8 already at 10% bran content), and that the ageing-induced weight loss of the biocomposition of 0.31–0.59% is lower than that of the samples produced from PBS alone (1.06%). On the other hand, the transverse shrinkage of moldings as a result of ageing turned out to be relatively small, at 0.05%–0.35%. The chemical resistance of biocomposites to NaOH and HCl as well as absorption of polar and non-polar liquids (oil and water) were also determined. Biodegradation studies were carried out under controlled conditions in compost and weight loss of the tested compositions was determined. The weight of samples made from PBS alone after 70 days of composting decreased only by 4.5%, while the biocomposition with 10% bran content decreased by 15.1%, and with 50% bran, by as much as 68.3%. The measurements carried out showed a significant influence of the content of the applied lignocellulosic fillers (LCF) in the form of raw wheat bran (WB) on the examined properties of the biocompositions and the course of their artificial ageing and biodegradation. Within the range under study, the screw speed of the extruder during the production of biocomposite pellets did not show any significant influence on most of the studied properties of the injection mouldings produced from it.

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“…Crop straw is rich in resources and extensive in use, and annual output is about 900 million tons in China. Therefore, it is advantageous to utilize waste crop straw to alleviate the shortage of forest and fossil resources [ 1 ], but if not effectively used, it will become a huge source of pollution, bringing about environmental pollution [ 2 ]. Rice straw is an important by-product of crops; with the enhancement of people’s awareness of using crop waste resources [ 3 , 4 , 5 ], more and more researchers are paying attention to the comprehensive utilization of rice straw resources.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Investigation on the Preparation of Rice Straw-Derived Cellulose Acetate and Its Spinnability for Electrospinning

et al. 2021

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Rice straw-derived cellulose (RSC) with purity of 92 wt.% was successfully extracted from rice straw by a novel and facile strategy, which integrated the C2H5OH/H2O autocatalytic process, dilute alkali treatment and H2O2 bleaching process. Influencing factors of the cellulose extraction were systematically examined, such as ethanol concentration, alkali concentration, H2O2 bleaching process and so on; the optimal extraction conditions of cellulose was determined. A series of rice straw-derived cellulose acetate (RSCA) with different degree of substitution (DS) were prepared by the acetylation reaction; the effects of Ac2O/cellulose ratio, reaction temperature and reaction time on the acetylation reaction were investigated. Results of FTIR and XRD analysis demonstrated that highly purified RSC and RSCA were prepared comparing with the commercial cellulose and cellulose acetate. Solubility analysis of RSCA with different DS indicated as-prepared RSCA with DS of 2.82 possessed the best solubleness, which was suitable for electrospinning. Moreover, the flexible RSCA fibrous membrane was easily fabricated by a facile electrospinning method. Our proposed method provided a strategy for realizing the high-value utilization of waste rice straw resource, as prepared RSC and RSCA can be used as chemical raw material, and electrospun RSCA fibrous membrane has various applications in medical materials, food packaging, water purification and so on.

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Characterization and Biodegradability of Rice Husk-Filled Polymer Composites

Cited by 36 publications

References 48 publications

Wastes from Agricultural Silage Film Recycling Line as a Potential Polymer Materials

Wastes from Agricultural Silage Film Recycling Line as a Potential Polymer Materials

Artificial Ageing, Chemical Resistance, and Biodegradation of Biocomposites from Poly(Butylene Succinate) and Wheat Bran

Investigation on the Preparation of Rice Straw-Derived Cellulose Acetate and Its Spinnability for Electrospinning

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