Characterization of Microalgae Biomass/PE Biocomposites Obtained by Compression and Rotational Molding

Abstract

The non-degradable nature of synthetic plastic waste in the eco-system has led to an increase in the research on more eco-friendly materials. In this context, biocomposites have been developed and microalgae biomass has become an emerging potential source for their production. This study assesses the possibility of obtaining composites made of polyethylene and Tetraselmis biomass as a way to improve the environmental behavior of plastic parts, reducing the amount of virgin plastic used in the process, while providing at the same time interesting features, such as stabilization. Biocomposites were produced by compression and rotational molding, testing different biomass contents. Compression molding allowed to obtain pieces with up to a 20% of biomass load with practically the same thermal and mechanical properties that pure PE parts. In the case of rotomolding, although up to a 10% of biomass could be processed, a 5% of biomass seems to be the limit to get acceptable properties and a good visual appearance.