Tensile, Oxygen Barrier and Biodegradation Properties of Rice Husk-Reinforced Polyethylene Blown Films

Abstract

The past few years have witnessed a renewed interest in developing new ecofriendly materials, sparked mostly by the nonbiodegradability of most of the polymeric materials. In this context, incorporation of biofibres as load-bearing constituents in polymeric composites is a highly attractive research line for the development of ecofriendly composites. An experimental study, with the overall aim of making environmentally compatible packaging film, was conducted to investigate the influence of rice husk (RH) loading on morphological, tensile, oxygen barrier and biodegradation properties of low-density polyethylene (LDPE)-based extrusion blown films. Various compositions were prepared with varying contents of RH and the properties were correlated with the loading of RH. Morphological observations revealed that there were micro-voids at interface and the RH particles start agglomerating beyond 5 wt%. The tensile, tear and oxygen barrier properties decreased as the loading of RH increased. Soil burial tests revealed that the composite films are biodegradable and RH loading has significant impact on rate of biodegradation.