Preparation and properties of cellulose / tamarind nut powder green composites

Using biopolymer cellulose as the matrix and tamarind nut powder (TNP) obtained from agricultural waste of tamarind nuts as the filler, the green composites were made. Cellulose was dissolved in environmental friendly solvent of aq. 8 wt. % Lithium hydroxide and 15 wt. % urea which was precooled to −12 ° C. To the cellulose solutions, TNP was added in 5 wt. % to 25 wt. % of cellulose separately. Each solution was evenly spread on glass plates and the wet composites were prepared by regeneration method using ethyl alcohol coagulation bath. The wet films were dried in air at room temperature. The dried composite films were characterized by FTIR spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, thermogravimetric analysis and also tested for their tensile properties. The tensile strength and the % elongation at break of the composites were higher than those of the matrix and increased with TNP content. While the matrix had a tensile strength of 111.8 MPa, the cellulose/TNP composite loaded with 25 wt.% TNP possessed a tensile strength of 125.4 MPa (12% increase). Though the thermal stability of the composites was lower than cellulose matrix, all the composites were stable up to a temperature of 350 °C

Development and Analysis of Completely Biodegradable Cellulose/Banana Peel Powder Composite Films

With an aim to replace the synthetic non-biodegradable polymer composites in packaging applications, the Cellulose/Banana Peel Powder biocomposite films were prepared by regeneration method with varying concentrations of BPP (5wt.% to 25wt.%) in cellulose matrix. The biocomposite films were characterized by polarized optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, thermogravimetric analysis, and tensile testing. The distribution of the BPP filler in the matrix was found to be uniform. The tensile strength and thermal stability of the biocomposites increased with increasing filler content. Based on the better tensile and thermal properties, these films can be potentially used for packaging applications

All-cellulose composite films with cellulose matrix and Napier grass cellulose fibril fillers

Diverse move has been attempted to use biomass as a filler for the production of biodegradable all-cellulose composites. In this study, cellulose fibrils (CFs) extracted from native African Napier grass (NG) fibres were used as fillers in cellulose matrix and made all-cellulose composites. Napier Grass Cellulose fibrils (NGCFs) loading was varied from 5 to 25 wt% in cellulose matrix in random orientation and the all cellulose composites were made by regeneration process. These composites were characterized by Fourier transform infrared (FFIR) spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, thermogravimetric analysis, optical microscopy, and tensile testing. The FTIR spectra indicated not only the presence of minute amounts of hemicelluloses and lignin in the filler but also the possible interaction between the matrix and NGCFs. The crystallinity of the all-cellulose composites was found to be lower than that of the cellulose matrix. The thermal stability of the all-cellulose composites was found to be higher than that of the cellulose matrix and increased with NGCFs filler content The tensile strength of the all-cellulose composites though was lower than that of the cellulose matrix but still was higher than for commodity polymers. The all-cellulose composites can be considered for wrapping and mulching applications. (C) 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved

Improved mechanical and thermal properties of spent coffee bean particulate reinforced poly(propylene carbonate) composites

Using biodegradable polypropylene carbonate (PPC) as the polymer matrix and 5 to 25 wt% content of spent coffee bean powder (SCBP) as filler, completely biodegradable composite films of PPC/SCBP were prepared. These composite films were characterized by polarized optical microscopy (POM), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), thermogravimetric analysis, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and tensile tests. The POM images indicated the uniform distribution of the SCBP in the composites. The FTIR spectra indicated that the PPC structure was retained by the composite films. The XRD analysis found that the composite films had lower crystallinity than the PPC due to the presence of amorphous hemicellulose containing SCBP. A significant enhancement in thermal stability of the filler reinforced composite was noticed which was more than 30% of the PPC matrix due to the presence of polyphenols in SCBP. A maximum increase of 35% of tensile strength was observed with the addition of 20 wt% SCBP filled composite films. These biodegradable composite films with higher thermal stability and tensile strength can be considered for packaging applications

Influence of a silica aerogel filler on the mechanical, thermal, and physical properties of flax/epoxy composite

The influence of Maerogel (MA) on the material properties of the flax fiber reinforced epoxy composites has been investigated. The composites were fabricated using the hot press molding method with incorporation of MA, a kind of silica aerogel derived from the rice husk ash. The effect of different MA concentrations on the thermal, mechanical, and physical properties of flax/epoxy composites was investigated