Morphological, thermal, and biodegradation properties of LLDPE/treated date palm waste composite buried in a soil environment

Abstract

In this study, date palm waste that was naturally treated as a filler in a linear-low density polyethylene (LLDPE) matrix was recycled to prepare green composites. Two types of LLDPE, based on basic additives, were used. UV stabilizer and the slip and anti-block were added as basic additives. The objective of this study was to examine the effect of these basic additives and the treated filler on the biodegradation, morphological, and thermal properties of the prepared samples by a soil burial test. The samples were characterized by Fourier-transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction (XRD). Weight loss was calculated to investigate the biodegradation of the sample, and SEM and thermogravimetric analyses were performed to reveal the morphology and thermal properties before and after burial, respectively. Results showed that the presence of the bio-filler accelerated the biodegradation of the composites. The UV stabilizer had a positive impact on biodegradation factors whereas anti-block additives appeared resistant to biodegradable factors. The morphology and thermal stability of all the prepared samples changed after burial due to the effects of biodegradation during the burial. Keywords: Polymer composites, Soil burial, Date palm, Linear low-density polyethylene, Biodegradation