Mechanical and Tribological Characterization of Green Composite Fabricated by Wheat Flour and Wheat Straw

Abstract

The excessive use of traditional plastic polymers has elevated environmental concerns. These polymers are extremely difficult to dispose off. It takes a long time for plastics to disintegrate. These plastics enter into river water through several channels, and for a considerable amount of time, it flow with the stream. Numerous marine creatures get sick after ingesting the trash and animals on the ground. Therefore, an effort is made for such a green composite which do not harm the creatures and animals. A green composite material was fabricated by compression molding using wheat flour (WF) as a matrix and wheat straw (WS) as a reinforcement. Both materials are natural and digestible for living beings. WS was lighter than WF, so the addition of WS made the composite lighter. A poly-lactic acid (PLA) coating was done over the surface of the WF-WS composite to make it water resistant and wear resistant. The pin on disc wear test was performed to get the specific wear rate of the composite. The air jet erosion was also carried out to know the erosion value of the composite. The thermo-gravimetric analysis was performed to investigate the thermal stability of the composite in order to ensure the use of the composite up to 200° C. It was found that the addition of WS fibers in the composite increased thermal stability. The scratch test was conducted to find out the strength of the 1 mm thickness coating. The WF-WS composite with PLA coating can be used in non-load bearing components and light weight applications. It can also be used for eco-friendly food packaging materials.