Bio-based fillers

Sustainability of the materials becomes one of the prime concerns in the research development in industries and academic institutions. The search for nonpetroleum-based fillers has accelerated the research into bio-nanofillers from biomass. In some cases, bio-based nanocomposites show unique advantages over traditional inorganic nanoparticles. Commonly used bio-nanofillers in NR are whiskers of cellulose, chitosan, nanocrystals of starch etc. The studies on these fillers are aimed at competitive production cost and equivalent properties as compared to other petroleum-based fillers. In addition, biocompatibility and biodegradability of the bio-based fillers are hoped to be retained after dispersion in the NR matrix. 

Table 1.10 Effect of different bio-based fillers on the mechanical properties of unvulcanized NR.

Bio-based plasticizer is environmentally friendly and derived from renewable resources (see US Patent US20100010127 to find details about this plasticizer). The PVC dry blend compositions prepared according to the process of the invention provide improved output feed rates as compared to the output feed rates of a PVC dry blend prepared from conventional phthalate. PVC and stabilizer are first mixed together and heated to stock temperature. Plasticizer preheated to 60°C is pumped into PVC stock mixture, then filler is added and mixture compounded until discharge temperature is reached. 

Hatakeyema H, Tanamachi N, Matsumura H, Hirose S, Hatakeyama T. Bio-based polyurethane composite foams with inorganic fillers studied by thermogravimetry. Thermochim... 

Control of Filler Phase Dispersion in Bio-Based Nanocomposites by In-situ Reactive Polymerization... 

In conclusion, in-situ reactive polymerization with CW or MMT offers an attractive processing route for producing PFA matrix nanocomposites without the use of strong mineral acids, solvents, or surfactants. Moreover, this approach simultaneously fulfils the objectives of increasing the use of of bio-based materials while realizing advanced composite materials with nanoscale fillers. Future studies will focus on mechanical testing of CW-PFA and MMT-PFA nanocomposites. 

There is plenty of interest in bio-based or bio-friendly fillers, which can be added to rubber/polymer matrices and result in enhanced performance and greener ... 

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