Comparative investigation of the influence of stone-dust particles and bagasse fiber on the mechanical and physical properties of reinforced recycled high-density polyethylene bio-composites

Abstract

One of the main purposes of this research is to control environmental pollution and mitigate the impact of ignorantly discarded waste plastics in the environment through recycling of such plastics and using them to develop innovative composite materials. The present work investigates the influence of stone-dust particles and bagasse fiber on the mechanical and physical properties of reinforced recycled high-density polyethylene bio-composites. The bagasse fiber was first treated with 0.5 m NaOH solution at a temperature of 50°C for 2 h in order to improve the surface morphology and also modified the mechanical properties of the fiber. Likewise, the stone-dust particles were analyzed by using a standard sieve shaker to obtain particle sizes of 75 μm. Both reinforcements were used for composite development through the compression molding technique and the samples were subjected to mechanical and physical properties tests in accordance with standards. Analysis of the results revealed that flexural, hardness, wear, and hydrophobicity of the developed bio-composites were improved by stone-dust particles. The flexural strength at peak and modulus were enhanced by 88% and 92%, respectively. Also, it was discovered that, tensile, impact and thermal conductivity properties of the bio-composites were improved by bagasse fiber. The ultimate tensile strength and Young’s modulus were enhanced by 43% and 34%, respectively. Hence, the blend of these by-products showed that they are potential bio-materials for the development of bio-composites.

Modern Trends in Recycling Waste Thermoplastics and Their Prospective Applications: A Review

“…Although these methods have their limitations, they are being adapted in various industrial applications to a definite level. They have, however, improved the recycling of plastics and reduced the incineration of plastic wastes, which usually presents difficulties such as the production of poisonous gases and residue ash, which contains lead and cadmium [40]. Figure 5 shows the possible life cycle of thermoplastic materials from the first production level to the recycled product.…”

Evaluation of crystallinity, thermal, mechanical and morphological features of high density polyethylene composites reinforced with crosslinked semifluorinated acrylate polymer microspheres

“…With this aspect, lots of studies were done to improve structural, mechanical, thermal, rheological properties of HDPE by using different secondary components in the form of particle or fibers. [7][8][9][10][11][12][13] As seen from these studies, the chemical character, particle size and shape, compatibility with the matrix, content level, dispersion and distribution of the filler has a critical and deciding role in the performance of the final composites.…”