TY - EJOU
AU - Malachovskienė, Eglė
AU - Bridžiuvienė, Danguolė
AU - Ostrauskaitė, Jolita
AU - Vaičekauskaitė, Justina
AU - Žalūdienė, Gailė
TI - A Comparative Investigation of the Biodegradation Behaviour of Linseed Oil-Based Cross-Linked Composites Filled with Industrial Waste Materials in Two Different Soils
T2 - Journal of Renewable Materials
PY - 2023
VL - 11
IS - 3
SN - 2164-6341
AB - The biodegradation of polymeric biocomposites formed from epoxidized linseed oil and various types of fillers
(pine needles, pine bark, grain mill waste, rapeseed cake) and a control sample without filler was studied during
180 days of exposure to two types of forest soil: deciduous and coniferous. The weight loss, morphological, and
structural changes of polymer composites were noticed after 180 days of the soil burial test. The greatest weight
loss of all tested samples was observed in coniferous forest soil (41.8%–63.2%), while in deciduous forest soil, it
ranged between 37.7% and 42.3%. The most significant changes in the intensities of the signals evaluated by attenuated total reflectance infrared spectroscopy, as well as morphological changes determined by scanning electron
microscopy, were assessed for polymer composite with rapeseed cake and specimen without filler in coniferous
forest soil and are in a good agreement with weight loss results. Whereas significantly lower changes in weight
loss, morphology, and structure of polymeric film with pine bark were noticed in both soils. It was suggested that
fungi of Trichoderma, Penicillium, Talaromyces and Clonostachys genera are the possible soil microorganisms that
degrade linseed oil-based cross-linked polymer composites. Moreover, the novel polymer composites have the
potential to be an environmentally friendly alternative to petroleum-based mulching films.
KW - Polymer composites; linseed oil; industrial waste materials; biodegradation; soil burial
DO - 10.32604/jrm.2022.023574