Effects of Surface Treatment of Ground Rice Husk on the Polyurethane Based on Castor Oil

• Published in: Polymers & polymer composites Vol. 17; no. 8; pp. 481 - 485
• Main Authors: SHERIF, Sayed A, SADEK, M. A, ASHOUR, F. H, BASSYOUNI, M
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Shrewsbury Rapra 01-01-2009; Sage Publications Ltd. (UK); Sage Publications Ltd
• Subjects: Applied sciences; Armature (Botany); Castor oil; Composite materials; Composites; Effects; Exact sciences and technology; Finishes and finishing; Forms of application and semi-finished materials; Materials; Mechanical properties; Polymer industry, paints, wood; Polyurethane; Polyurethanes; Production processes; Rice; Technology of polymers; Vegetable oils; Egypt; Particle size; Mechanical properties; Thermoplastic rubber; Vegetable oil; Dispersion reinforced material; Hardness; Experimental study; Rice by product; Polyaddition; Composite material; Thermal stability; Surface treatment; Polyurethane elastomer; Thermal properties; Castor oil; Chemical treatment; Preparation; Crosslinked polymer; Agricultural waste
• ISSN: 0967-3911; 1478-2391
• DOI: 10.1177/096739110901700802

Polyurethane (PU) elastomer based on castor oil and polymeric diphenylmethane diisocyanate (PMDI) was synthesised with NCO/OH ratio = 2 as a polymeric matrix. Polyurethane was composited with rice husk with average particle size less than 200 μm. Ground rice husk was pretreated by steam and sodium hydroxide solution in order to study and evaluate the effect of different surface treatment methods on the properties of the polyurethane composites. Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) was used to investigate dispersion and fracture surfaces of the composites. Mechanical test (hardness), Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA), and Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC), were employed to characterise the developed composite materials in details. Composite polyurethanes based on treated and untreated rice husk showed different physical, chemical and mechanical properties. SEM micrographs of PU-treated rice husk (steam) displayed rice husk tightly embedded in the PU matrix with uniform distribution. The steam treatment increased the interfacial adhesion within the material, which showed a high thermal stability. PU-treated rice husk (sodium hydroxide 10 wt.%) showed poor mechanical properties. Untreated rice husk showed moderate mechanical properties as compared to the preceding cases.