abstract
Calcium carbonate (CaCO3) is used as a filler to improve the stiffness and processability of plastics at low cost. However, its high density limits the quantity to be used. In this work, the feasibility of using starch consolidation of eggshells-derived CaCO3 (ES) to develop lightweight fillers for low density polyethylene (LDPE)-based materials was studied. Starch, recovered from potato by-products, was combined with ES, gelatinized, dried, and milled as a fine powder. The obtained ES/starch-based particles were then compounded with LDPE and their influence on chromatic, mechanical, morphological, and density properties of mold injected LDPE-based materials was studied. Commercially available CaCO3 (COM) was used as control. ES/starch particles were 18 times less dense than the commercially available CaCO3 (2.62 g cm???? 3). When incorporated into LDPE-based formulations, ES/starch originated brownish materials with lower density (1.18 g cm???? 3) and higher stiffness (542 MPa of Young's modulus) than those produced with the COM sample (1.33 g cm???? 3 of density; 221 MPa of Young's modulus). Therefore, starch consolidation of ES revealed to be a promising approach to develop lightweight fillers able to provide stiffness and color to LDPE-based plastics, while valorizing biomolecules-rich by-products.
authors
Jessica D.C. Santos, Paulo Brites, Carolina Martins, Claudia Nunes, Manuel A. Coimbra, Paula Ferreira, Idalina Gonçalves
our authors
Carolina S. Martins
PhD Student
Cláudia Nunes
Junior Researcher
Idalina José Monteiro Gonçalves
Junior Researcher
Jéssica Daniela Carvalho dos Santos
PhD Student
Paula Celeste da Silva Ferreira
Research Coordinator
Paulo Brites
PhD StudentGroups
G1 - Porous Materials and Nanosystems
G2 - Photonic, Electronic and Magnetic Materials
G4 - Renewable Materials and Circular Economy
Projects
CICECO - Aveiro Institute of Materials (UIDB/50011/2020)
CICECO - Aveiro Institute of Materials (UIDP/50011/2020)
Cargas de baixa densidade para formulações plásticas. (PLASTICOLIGHT)
acknowledgements
This work was developed within the scope of the projects CICECO - Aveiro Institute of Materials (UIDB/50011/2020, UIDP/50011/2020 & LA/P/0006/2020) and LAQV-REQUIMTE (UIDB/50006/2020), financed by national funds through the FCT/MCTES. The authors acknowledge to PLASTICOLIGHT project (POCI-01-0247-FEDER- 33848), financed by FEDER through POCI, to Isolago – Indústria de Pl´asticos, S. A., the project leader, and to Derovo group for providing eggshells. FCT is also thanked for the Investigator FCT program (IF/ 00300/2015, PF), Scientific Employment Stimulus program (IG, CEECIND/ 00430/2017), and in the scope of the framework contract foreseen in the numbers 4, 5, and 6 of the article 23, of the Decree-Law 57/2016, of August 29, changed by Law 57/2017, of July 19 (CN). JS also thank FCT for funding the SFRH/BD/145660/2019 grant.