Abstract: Employing fibers particularly those from renewable materials as an alternative to inorganic fibers in composites is part of the effort to promote bio-based products as well as to broaden recycling of solid wastes. In this work, the use of agro waste Alpinia galanga (AG) as composite reinforcement was investigated in terms of tensile properties, thermal stability, morphology and water absorption. Composites based on AG fibers and high density polyethylene (HDPE) were prepared together with an additive, eco-degradant (ECO) and a compatibilizer, polyethylene-g-maleic anhydride (PE-g-MA) in a mixer, Brabender Plastograph EC at various AG fiber loadings. The results reveal that the composite formulation enabled AG fibers to function as reinforcement in HDPE-based composites. The presence of ECO at 15 wt% fiber loading improved tensile strength up to 33.6 MPa, about 21 % higher than that of pristine HDPE (27.8 MPa). The addition of MA-g-PE at 10 wt% fiber loading also indicates comparable te

• Publication Date: 08-Jun-2014
• DOI: 10.15224/978-1-63248-019-4-05
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Abstract: With the common use of dyes and pigments in textile, tannery, food, paper and pulp, printing, carpet and mineral processing industries, they became as serious polluters of our environment as far as color pollution is concerned. Due to discharge of these effluents into natural streams, the sunlight penetration into the stream is inhibited and photosynthetic activity is reduced which directly affects the biotic life. By considering the carcinogenic and mutagenic nature of dyes, the removal of these pollutants from aquatic environments become as a serious concern. However treating of dye bearing wastewaters by conventional treatment methods is a complex problem. The most commonly used method for color removal is biological oxidation and chemical precipitation. However, these processes are effective and economic only in the case where the solute concentration is relatively high. Currently sorption process is proved to be an effective alternate for the treatment of dye wastewaters. Activate

• Publication Date: 08-Jun-2014
• DOI: 10.15224/978-1-63248-019-4-06
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