Theses & Dissertations

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https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14170/194

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Browsing Theses & Dissertations by Author "Abdulati Salem Abrahim Elnaid"
  • Publication
    Characterization and properties of linear low-density polyethylene / date seeds (LLDPE/DS) biocomposites
    ( 2019)
    Abdulati Salem Abrahim Elnaid
    The potential of Date Seeds (DS) as a new biomass filler was studied. DS were collected, washed and grinded. This followed up by sorting the DS into three different categories based on their particle size, i.e. coarse size (between 700-1000 μm), medium size (between 250-500 μm) and fine size (between 1-125 μm). After preparing of DS powder, DS was mixed with linear low-density polyethylene (LLDPE), prior to being fed into a twin-screw extruder and subsequently into an injection moulding machine to produce LLDPE/DS biocomposites. The analyses such as tensile test, flexural, impact, thermal gravimetry analysis (TGA), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) were conducted. At second objectives, LLDPE/DS biocomposites were produced with composition ratios 0, 5, 10, 15 and 20 wt%. The results showed that the increase of DS loading up to 10 wt%, particularly DS fine size resulted in an increment of the value of tensile, flexural strength and thermal stability of LLDPE/DS biocomposites. The LLDPE/DS biocomposites at high DS content, particularity DS fine size exhibited relatively higher gel content compared to others. At next objectives, three different concentrations (3, 6 and 9 %) of sodium hydroxides (NaOH) were used as alkali treatment for DS. Result indicated that with the 3% NaOH treatment on DS improved the tensile strength, flexural strength and impact of the LLDPE/DS biocomposites significantly. In terms of crystallinity and thermal stability, the treated composites were superior compared with those of the untreated composites. The incorporation of three concentration of stearic acid (C18H36O2) (3, 6, 9 %) different as acid treatment on DS was carried in fourth objectives. It can be seen that, 3% treatment with steric acid (SA) on DS shows improvement of all mechanical value and thermal stability of LLDPE/DS biocomposites. Meanwhile at fifth objectives, the electron beam radiation (EBR) was applied on the composites for crosslinking purposes, using a 1.5 MeV electron beam accelerator within the dosage range of 0–200 kGy. Trimethylolpropane triacrylate (TMPTA) and tripropylene glycol diacrylate (TPGDA) were used as the crosslink promoters. The results showed that the composites added with TMPTA showed higher tensile properties, flexural, impact, gel content and thermal stability compared with composites added with TPGDA. In addition, the LLDPE/DS biocomposites with TMPTA that exposed at 150 kGy improved an optimum value of mechanical and physical properties.