Mateusz Barczewski^1,*, Jacek Andrzejewski^1,*, Radomir Majchrowski², Kamil Dobrzycki¹, Krzysztof Formela³

Journal of Renewable Materials, Vol.9, No.5, pp. 841-853, 2021, DOI:10.32604/jrm.2021.014490

Abstract Agricultural waste is a still untapped source of materials that can, in case of proper utilization, significantly improve the sustainability of polymers and their composites. In this work, polymer composites based on isotactic polypropylene were produced incorporating ground sunflower husk in the amount of 10 wt% and 20 wt%. The work’s main objective is to evaluate how preliminary fractioning of this agricultural waste filler affects the thermomechanical properties, microstructure and surface topology of polypropylene-based injection molded composites. The composites were analyzed for mechanical properties (tensile, impact strength and hardness), thermomechanical properties (Vicat softening point VST, heat deflection temperature HDT, and… More >

Olga Mysiukiewicz^1,*, Mateusz Barczewski¹, Joanna Szulc²

Journal of Renewable Materials, Vol.8, No.4, pp. 347-363, 2020, DOI:10.32604/jrm.2020.09276

Abstract In order to limit the negative impact of industry on natural environment, ecological alternatives to conventional polymers are being proposed. One of the most popular “green” polymers is polylactide, which can also be successfully applied as a matrix of composites. The application of ground linseed cake as a filler for polylactide-based composites is in line with the idea of Circular Economy, and moreover it provides a modifying effect on the polymer by increasing its crystallinity and reducing its brittleness. This effect is caused by the presence of linseed oil which can be released to the polymeric matrix in a non-controlled… More >