Triticale straw and its thermoplastic biocomposites

Abstract

The potential of triticale straw for the production of green composites based on polypropylene (PP) was evaluated. The composites were prepared by melt compounding of PP and chopped triticale straw (so-called triticale particles) using different formulations and triticale concentrations. The morphology and crystallization of the PP triticale composites were characterized by means of various techniques, including optical microscopy (OM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The composite mechanical performance was also evaluated. The results obtained demonstrate that, by simply adding triticale particles into PP, they play the role of a conventional filler that increases the modulus while reduces the strength. However, the developed formulation with the combination of coupling agent and reactive additive provides superior strength and modulus for the composites; thus, it can upgrade the triticale particles from filler to reinforcement category.

Keywords

• biocomposite
• cellulose
• polypropylene
• thermoplastic
• triticale