Effect of Incorporation of Polypropylene on the Physico-Mechanical and Thermo-Mechanical Properties of Gelatin Fiber Based Linear Low Density Polyethylene Bio-foamed Composite

Gelatin fiber (10 wt%) based linear low density polyethylene (LLDPE) bio-foamed composite was fabricated using compression molding and physico-mechanical and thermo-mechanical properties were studied. Gelatin fiber was prepared from 20% gelatin-based aqueous solution by extrusion method. Polypropylene (PP) was blended (20-80 wt%) with LLDPE matrix in the 10% gelatin fiber based bio-foamed composites and their physico-mechanical and thermo-mechanical properties were investigated and compared with the control composite. It was found that with the increase of PP content in the LLDPE-based composites, the properties were found to improve significantly. Degradation test of the composites upto 24 weeks was performed in soil medium. Water uptake and thermo-mechanical properties of the composites were also studied. Void spaces and channels in the bio-foamed composites were observed from optical microscopic image.