Fabrication and thermomechanical properties of carbonized Luffa cylindrica-reinforced high-density polyethylene composites

The lifecycle of a material and the environmental trace is becoming a dominant parameter on material's selection process. The present study focuses on the fabrication and thermomechanical characterization of fully recycled composite materials based on high-density polyethylene (HDPE) reinforced with bio-natural inclusions of carbonized Luffa cylindrica (c-LC). Materials fabrication was realized by applying the twin roll mill process, which enabled the production of a series of polymer composites with variable c-LC content. The morphological and thermomechanical characteristics were investigated by means of scanning electron microscopy and dynamic mechanical analysis, respectively. Morphological results indicate a reinforcing geometry of the inclusions, while the thermomechanical characterization verifies the reinforcement of HDPE thermoplastic with the biochar inclusions thus paving the way to the use of such fully-recycled biochar thermoplastic composite materials on structural and semi-structural applications.