Fatty esters of cellulose from olive pomace and barley bran: Improved mechanical properties by metathesis crosslinking

Agricultural wastes such as olive pomace and barley bran have been transformed in plastic by esterification with fatty acid chlorides after acidic or alkaline delignification. These esterifications were carried out in homogenous solution DMA/LiCl by classical heating or microwave activation. The plastics obtained were characterized by IR and NMR spectra, and tested for their mechanical properties and potentiality of biodegradation. The mechanical properties were improved by olefin metathesis of undecylenic ester from olive cellulose. (c) 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.