Abstract:Nanoindentation is widely used to investigate the surface-mechanical properties of biocomposites. In this study, polypropylene random copolymer (PPRC) and biowaste rice husk (BRH) were used as the main raw materials, and glass-fiber-reinforced polypropylene and talc were also used with BRH to enhance the mechanical characterization of the biocomposites. The interfacial bonding between the polymer and the rice husk was increased by treating them with maleic anhydride and NaOH, respectively. The results obtained… Show more
“…Briefly, rice husk was washed with distilled water to remove dust and other contaminants. Then dried at 70 °C in an oven for 24 h, milled and sieved under 48-mesh US Tayler sieve to get particles with diameter of less than 295 μm [ 25 ]. The sample was stored in a plastic zipper bag for further processing.…”
Section: Materials and Methodologymentioning
confidence: 99%
“…The samples were removed from molds and stored for further characterization. Table 1 indicates the compositions of PPRC, PPGF, MA and RH (treated or untreated) determined by Design Expert software using mixture matrix [ 25 ]. Fig.…”
“…Briefly, rice husk was washed with distilled water to remove dust and other contaminants. Then dried at 70 °C in an oven for 24 h, milled and sieved under 48-mesh US Tayler sieve to get particles with diameter of less than 295 μm [ 25 ]. The sample was stored in a plastic zipper bag for further processing.…”
Section: Materials and Methodologymentioning
confidence: 99%
“…The samples were removed from molds and stored for further characterization. Table 1 indicates the compositions of PPRC, PPGF, MA and RH (treated or untreated) determined by Design Expert software using mixture matrix [ 25 ]. Fig.…”
“…In the primary creep stage, the creep rate initiated at relatively higher values but rapidly increased with time. This phenomenon may be attributed to the change in the orientation of fiber particles under load because of slippage [14]. As the material is exposed to continuous levels of load, it may start to deform permanently.…”
Section: Creep Analysismentioning
confidence: 99%
“…Biomass has been recommended as a source of raw material for the development of biopolymers for packing by various researchers [12,13]. The use of lignocellulosic biomass alone is not practical, so the best option in current scenarios is to reinforce the already existing polymeric materials by the addition of biowaste material as required [14].…”
In this work, the effects of different fiber loadings on the mechanical properties of the composites at the sub-micron scale were studied through nanoindentation followed by physical characterization. The composites were prepared by incorporating different loadings of wheat straw, corn stalk, and rice husk in polypropylene copolymer using a melt processing method followed by thermal–hydraulic compression technique. Nanoindentation experiments in quasi-continuous stiffness mode were performed on the surfaces of produced composites to study the composites’ elastic modulus, hardness, and creep properties. The obtained results expressed the in-depth study of the micro- and macro-level structure and behavior of particle interactions. The findings demonstrated that observable shifts in composites’ hardness, elastic modulus, and creep rate had occurred. The WS-reinforced biocomposite sheet showed the highest elastic modulus of 1.09 and hardness of 0.11 GPa at 40 wt% loading in comparison to other loadings. An impact strength of 7.55 kJ/m2 was noted for the biocomposite at 40 wt% RH loading. In addition, optical microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, water absorption, thickness swelling, and Vicat softening point studies were conducted on biocomposite sheets to evaluate differences in physical, mechanical, and thermal properties. The outstanding mechanical performance of the newly developed composites makes them suitable for use as a biodegradable packaging material.
“…The development of biocomposites based on natural fillers and polymers has made tremendous progress in the recent year due to rules and regulations pertaining to sustainability and environmental impact. [1][2] Natural fillers, such as the wood floor of trees, can be used to reinforce the polymer matrix in these biocomposites. Also, the use of natural fillers from various agro waste residues to make biocomposites (also known as wood polymer composites (WPC)) has increased dramatically, owing to their widespread application in the construction sector for building roofs, window and door panels, green kitchens, and other applications [3][4].…”
Rotational rheology was used to analyze the performance of polypropylene (PP) composites reinforced with date palm nanofiber (DNF) in the molten state in this study. In the first stage, mechanical ball milling was used to obtain date nanofillers with average filler sizes ranging from 30–110 nm in width and 1–10 mm in length. Dry blending technique was used to reinforce this filler to the polypropylene in the 1-5wt. % loading. The resulting PP/DNF biocomposites were subsequently tested using a rotating rheometer with a 25 mm parallel plate geometry. The broad range of angular frequency from 0.1 rad·s−1 to 100 rad·s−1 was applied to study their complex viscosity (η*) at a fix strain (1%). The decrease in complex viscosity with angular frequency in all the samples was observed compared to the neat PP. The complex viscosity of the neat PP and the 5 wt.% of filler samples at 0.1 rad·s−1 frequency was found to have 18170 Pa. s and 5335 Pa. s, respectively. Therefore, this analysis revealed that this biocomposites exhibits typical viscoelastic behavior of entangled polymeric liquid.
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