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Sugarcane bagasse fiber-rich polypropylene composites

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Agro-industrial processes generate fibrous residues such as lignocellulosic fibers, which could potentially be used in new materials. Interest in natural fiber-reinforced polymer composites has been growing rapidly due to the materials significant processing advantages like low cost and low density, which have been used in many applications in the automotive and construction industries. A raw material that is abundant and has the potential for use in composites is sugarcane bagasse fiber. In Brazil, the estimated production for the 2015/2016 sugarcane harvest is 666.8 million tons, of which almost 1/3 is bagasse, and most of this material is used for the cogeneration of electrical and thermal energy. However, there are bagasse waste and losses due to fermentation in storage as well, which could be used as raw material to manufacture new materials. Currently, the amount of fiber used in commercial composite applications is usually limited. Conventional composite extrusion methods are not used for fiber-rich content because they require more efficient mixers. The project aims to produce composite panels that are rich in lignocellulosic fibers using polypropylene (PP) as polymer and sugarcane (Saccaharum officinarum) bagasse fibers. Depending on the properties of the composites measured, their potential applications in the civil construction and automotive parts will be evaluated by comparison with material property reference. Thus, the project is expected to obtain new environmentally friendly materials that enable the reuse of sugarcane chain co-products.

Status: Completed Start date: Tue Jan 01 00:00:00 GMT-03:00 2019 Conclusion date: Sat Feb 29 00:00:00 GMT-03:00 2020

Head Unit: Embrapa Instrumentation

Project leader: Jose Manoel Marconcini

Contact: jose.marconcini@embrapa.br