Abstract
Developing insulating materials with minimal environmental impacts and enhanced properties has been the primary challenge in recent years. To address these challenges, date palm fiber (DPF) was treated with a silane coupling agent 3-aminopropyl triethoxysilane and two grafting solvents (acetone and ethanol) via the wet chemical method. The treated fibers were used to prepare poly(β-hydroxybutyrate) (PHB)-based composites via melt blending, thermo-compression molding, and annealing. The insulation properties of these green composites revealed that the silylated fiber composites possess an appropriate thermal conductivity, of 0.0901–0.106 W/(m·K). In cold and hot water, the silylated fiber composites drastically decreased water absorption by 20% and 34%, respectively. The tensile strength of the silylated fiber composites reached 18 MPa owing to improved compatibility, and the highest compressive strength was 48.6 MPa with a filler content of 40 wt%. The heat of combustion for silylated fiber composites ranged from 20.79 to 21.94 MJ/kg. The results indicate that silylated DPF-based PHB composites have potential for use in building engineering.
Original language | English |
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Article number | 100240 |
Journal | Developments in the Built Environment |
Volume | 16 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - Dec 2023 |
Keywords
- Biodegradable construction material
- Date palm fiber
- Green thermal insulator
- Polyhydroxybutyrate
- Silane treatment
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Architecture
- Civil and Structural Engineering
- Building and Construction
- Materials Science (miscellaneous)
- Computer Science Applications
- Computer Graphics and Computer-Aided Design