Wheat flour thermoplastic matrix reinforced by waste cotton fibre: Agro-green-composites

New composites materials, 100% ecofriendly, having waste cotton fibre as reinforcement in wheat flour based thermoplastic matrix were prepared by extrusion method. The fibre content in the composite varied from 0 to 15% w/w. Using X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy, the structure and morphology of the composites have been analysed. This investigation is focused on the effects of the fibre content on the mechanical and thermal properties of the composites. Addition of the waste cotton fibre to the matrix increased the tensile properties. For the composite with 10% w/w of fibre the values of the tensile stress are found maximum. We also show that thermal conductivity and resistivity are not affected by the fibre content. By thermogravimetry we show that the addition of fibres to the matrix has no significant influence on the thermal stability of the composites. Finally, to analyse the efficiency of the present system, a comparative study of the mechanical properties obtained with flax and cotton fibres is performed.