Mechanical performance investigation of lignocellulosic coconut and pomegranate / LDPE biocomposite green materials

Abstract

Biocomposites have been implemented in various industrial applications. However, it is necessary to demonstrate their desired mechanical performance aspects for the near future green products. The aim of this work is to study the efficiency of utilizing both coconut and pomegranate lignocellulosic fiber as green reinforcement types for the low-density polyethylene, LDPE. Desired mechanical performance trends are investigated for the green composites including the tensile strength, tensile modulus, and elongation to break properties as a function of various reinforcement configurations. This was performed to properly optimize the reinforcement conditions to obtain desirable mechanical characteristics of such types of bio-composites for more sustainable functional attributes. Results have demonstrated that the best tensile strength for the coconut/PE was achieved at 20wt.% case with 8.2 MPa, and the best regarding this property for the pomegranate/PE was at 30wt.% with a value close to 8.3 MPa. Moreover, obvious inverse relationship between strength and strain for the coconut composite type was revealed at both low and high fiber contents. It was also noticed that the 20wt.% coconut-based composite has demonstrated the best optimal values of tensile strength and tensile modulus simultaneously. But no reinforcement condition was found for pomegranate/LDPE as an optimal for these mechanical properties concurrently.

Development and Properties Characterization of Polyethylene Based Composite Using Coconut Fiber

“…This may be due to insufficient filling of the melted LDPE resin into the reinforcing natural fibers during composite processing. Thus, hardness is a material's resistance to permanent surface deformation (i.e dent) as could be determined and obtained by Universal Testing Machine [10]. Figure 13 plot showed the degree of hardness of the developed composite at 5% fiber loading of varying sizes.…”

“…[9] investigated the suitability of Coconut fiber reinforced polymer composite for the production of military helmets. One of the earliest uses of coir in Fiber Reinforced Polymer composites was found in the production of automobile parts [10], [11]. The growing concern about the environmental issues and development of advanced materials has forced us to utilize the natural resources for the development of fiber polymer composite, which is environmentally friendly and does not cause any harm in terms of pollution and decompose effortlessly [4], [5].…”

“…Most synthetic polymers are produced from nonbiodegradable petrochemicals. Using natural fiber-polymer composites in many applications is the most appropriate solution for integrating public concerns to reduce cost and time [10]. Over the years, natural fibers have been applied as reinforcement in composite materials; related to this project, Coil fiber (coconut fiber) was employed as reinforcement due to its availability and its rich fibrous mesocarp, which is a resource that can be used in fiber reinforced composites as a reinforcing material.…”

“…Recently, public concerns about the environment, climate, emissions of gases, and energy consumption increase the focus on the use of natural and biodegradable materials in various applications [10]. In addition, the use of natural fibers from agricultural wastes is also in conformity with the re-use and reutilization of growing agricultural wastes.…”

Blending of Low-Density Polyethylene and Poly(Butylene Succinate) (LDPE/PBS) with Polyethylene–Graft–Maleic Anhydride (PE–g–MA) as a Compatibilizer on the Phase Morphology, Mechanical and Thermal Properties

“…These single-use plastics, often known as disposable plastics, are used only once before being discarded or recycled [ 4 ]. According to global economic growth, by 2050, the amount of plastic waste generated will surpass 25 billion metric tonnes [ 5 ]. However, the widespread use of non-biodegradable plastic has become a considerable concern due to its adverse effects on the environment, human health and dependency on depleting fossil fuel resources [ 6 ].…”