The physico-mechanical and microstructural evaluations of phaseolus vulgaris chaff-reinforced polyethylene

Victoria Dumebi Obasa; Samuel Okonkwo; Oludolapo Akanni Olanrewaju; Samson Oluropo Adeosun

The physico-mechanical and microstructural evaluations of phaseolus vulgaris chaff-reinforced polyethylene

Victoria Dumebi Obasa, Samuel Okonkwo, Oludolapo Akanni Olanrewaju, Samson Oluropo Adeosun

Abstract

Agricultural byproducts are used as fillers in polymer composites while the polymer matrix acts as the binder. Agro-waste as reinforcement offers a sustainable solution to waste management through material enhancement and valorization of waste. It also addresses the high cost and environmental challenges associated with synthetic reinforcement. Thus, this research reinforces low-density polyethylene (LDPE) with particles of bean (Phaseolus Vulgaris) chaff at sizes; 420, 250, 177, 149, and 106 µm at a concentration range of 5 to 40 wt.%. The choice of LDPE for this research is founded chiefly on its properties and intended applications. LDPE has been notable for its flexibility, softness, and lightweight, and requires a filler that will only impact its tensile strength without significantly altering its weight. A bean shell with a low density is deemed a suitable reinforcement that will not negatively modify the weight of the LDPE. The resulting composite samples were subjected to physical and mechanical evaluations while the microstructure was investigated using a scanning electron microscope (SEM). The study shows that the examined bean chaff particle sizes (reinforcement) demonstrated good absorptivity. The polyethylene composite constituted using 420μm size filler showed superior mechanical properties over other grade sizes at a lower concentration range of 5-15 wt.% with ultimate tensile strength (UTS) of 3.40 MPa, ductility of 48%, and flexural strength of 3MPa. The developed bean chaff polyethylene composite also possessed low density similar to groundnut and sugarcane chaff making it a potential material for various engineering applications requiring low strength.

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