Manufacturing and properties of biobased thermoplastic composites from poly(lactid acid) and hazelnut shell wastes

This is the peer reviewed version of the following article: Balart, J.F., Garcia-Sanoguera, David, Balart, Rafael, Boronat, Teodomiro, Sanchez-Nacher, Lourdes. (2018). Manufacturing and properties of biobased thermoplastic composites from poly(lactid acid) and hazelnut shell wastes.Polymer Composites, 39, 3, 848-857. DOI: 10.1002/pc.24007 , which has been published in final form at [Link to final article using the DOI]. This article may be used for non-commercial purposes in accordance with Wiley Terms and Conditions for Self-Archiving.[EN] Poly(lactic acid), PLA-based green composites were obtained with hazelnut shell flour (HSF) derived from the food industry thus leading to fully biodegradable materials with attracting properties. The hazelnut shell flour content varied in the 10-40wt% range. An increase in the degree of crystallinity with increasing HSF was detected, mainly due to the nucleating effect of lignocellulosic particles. The thermodimensional stability was noticeably improved with increasing HSF amount as evidenced by a remarkable decrease in the coefficient of thermal-linear expansion. Increasing HSF leads to stiffer materials as HSF particles act as interlock points that restrict polymer chain motion. Addition of hazelnut shell flour as filler in PLA-based green composites leads to fully biodegradable composites with balanced mechanical and thermal properties. Furthermore, it gives a solution to upgrade wastes from the hazelnut industry and contributes to lower the cost of PLA-based materials. POLYM. COMPOS., 39:848-857, 2018. (c) 2016 Society of Plastics EngineersContract grant sponsor: Ministerio de Economia y Competitividad-MINECO; contract grant number: MAT2014-59242-C2-1-R; contract grant sponsor: Conselleria d'Educacio, Cultura i Esport; contract grant number: GV/2014/008.Balart, J.; Garcia-Sanoguera, D.; Balart, R.; Boronat, T.; Sanchez-Nacher, L. (2018). Manufacturing and properties of biobased thermoplastic composites from poly(lactid acid) and hazelnut shell wastes. Polymer Composites. 39(3):848-857. https://doi.org/10.1002/pc.2400784885739