Biodegradable composites from rice straw and cornstarch adhesives

Abstract

The main goal of this study was to use Rice Straw (RS) in the production of environmentally sound composites using Cornstarch Adhesives (CA). Treatments of RS with NaOH, oxalic acid and hot-water were undertaken to evaluate the effect of such treatments on the characteristics of rice straw and the performance of produced composites. Results showed that all treatments were efficient in partially changing RS surface properties, as evidenced by FTIR and improving wettability of RS. The dependence of physical-mechanical properties of obtained composites on treatments performed on RS was studied. Hot-water treated straw composites displayed the best set of final mechanical properties. The composites exhibited poor waterproof performance, but considerable moisture resistance and environment-friendly properties. © Maxwell Scientific Organization, 2013.