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Sustainable Use of Coffee Husks For Reinforcing Polyethylene Composites

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Abstract

The utilization of the coffee husk fiber (CHF) from the coffee industry as a reinforcing filler in the preparation of a cost-effective thermoplastic based composite was explored in this study. The chemical composition and thermal properties of the CHF were investigated and compared with those of wood fiber (WF). CHF proved to be mainly composed of cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin, and exhibited similar thermal behavior to WF. High density polyethylene (HDPE) composites with CHF loadings of from 40 to 70% were prepared using melt processing and extrusion. The processing properties, mechanical behavior, water absorption and thermal performance of these composites were investigated. The effect of maleated polyethylene (MAPE) used as a coupling agent on the composite was explored. The experimental results showed that increasing the CHF loading in the HDPE matrix resulted in an increase in the modulus and thermal properties of the composites, but resulted in poor water resistance. The addition of a 4% MAPE significantly improved the interfacial behavior of the hydrophilic lignocellulosic fiber and the hydrophobic polymer matrix.

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Acknowledgements

The authors are thankful to the financial support from National Key Technologies R&D Program of China (No. 2012BAD32B04) and Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities (2572015AB07).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Key Laboratory of Bio-based Material Science and Technology (Ministry of Education), Northeast Forestry University, Harbin, 150040, China

    Lang Huang, Binshan Mu, Xin Yi, Shujun Li & Qingwen Wang

  2. College of Materials and Energy, South China Agricultural University, 483 Wushan Road, Guangzhou, 510642, China

    Qingwen Wang

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  1. Lang Huang
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  2. Binshan Mu
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  3. Xin Yi
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  4. Shujun Li
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  5. Qingwen Wang
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Correspondence to Qingwen Wang.

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Huang, L., Mu, B., Yi, X. et al. Sustainable Use of Coffee Husks For Reinforcing Polyethylene Composites. J Polym Environ 26, 48–58 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10924-016-0917-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10924-016-0917-x

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