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Title: ENZYME-RETTED FLAX FIBER AND RECYCLED POLYETHYLENE COMPOSITES

Author
item Foulk, Jonn
item CHAO, WAYNE - CLEMSON UNIV.
item Akin, Danny
item DODD, ROY - CLEMSON UNIV
item LAYTON, PATRICIA - CLEMSON UNIV

Submitted to: Bio Environmental Polymer Society
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 6/1/2003
Publication Date: 8/10/2003
Citation: Foulk, J.A., Chao, W., Akin, D.E., Dodd, R., Layton, P.A. Enzyme-retted flax fiber and recycled polyethylene composites. Bio Environmental Polymer Society. 2003. Page 25. Available from: www.beps.org.

Interpretive Summary: SEVERAL MILLION TONS OF MUNICIPAL SOLID WASTE ARE PRODUCED EACH YEAR. FLAX (LINUM USITATISSIMUM L.) HAS BEEN GROWN THROUGHOUT THE WORLD FOR MILLENNIA. THE UTILITY OF ENZYME-RETTED FLAX FIBERS FOR CREATING A COMPOSITE WITH RECYCLED HDPE (HIGH DENSITY POLYETHYLENE) HAS BEEN INVESTIGATED AND EVALUATED FOR PHYSICAL AND MECHANICAL PROPERTIES. THE ADDITION OF FLAX FIBER IN RECYCLED THERMOPLASTIC POLYMERS REINFORCES THE MATERIAL AND REDUCES THE AMOUNT OF NON-BIODEGRADABLE MATERIALS. FIBER FLAX FOR SHORT STAPLE USES CAN BE RAPIDLY HARVESTED USING EQUIPMENT READILY AVAILABLE ON U.S. FARMS. THE LOW LOAD-BEARING COST OF FLAX FIBERS IN COMPOSITES PREDICTS ITS POTENTIAL USE IN COMPOSITES AND OTHER INDUSTRIAL PRODUCTS. RECYCLED HDPE WAS COMBINED WITH FLAX (ENZYME-RETTED WITH A SERIES OF FORMULATIONS OF VARYING ENZYME AND CHELATOR COMPONENTS). PHYSICAL PROPERTIES OF THESE ENZYME-RETTED FLAX FIBERS VARIED BY ENZYME AND CHELATOR LEVELS. OUR STUDIES HAVE FOCUSED ON PRODUCING UNIFORM FIBER FROM FIBER FLAX OR WASTE SEED FLAX FOR TEXTILE OR COMPOSITE USES.

Technical Abstract: SEVERAL MILLION TONS OF MUNICIPAL SOLID WASTE ARE PRODUCED EACH YEAR. FLAX (LINUM USITATISSMUM L.) HAS BEEN GROWN THROUGHOUT THE WORLD FOR MILLENNIA. THE UTILITY OF ENZYME-RETTED FLAX FIBERS FOR CREATING A COMPOSITE WITH RECYCLED HDPE (HIGH DENSITY POLYETHYLENE) HAS BEEN INVESTIGATED AND EVALUATED FOR PHYSICAL AND MECHANICAL PROPERTIES. PLASTIC WASTE (SUCH AS HDPE FROM MILK CONTAINERS) IS CURRENTLY RECOVERED BECAUSE IT OFFERS MECHANICAL PROPERTIES, RECYCLABILITY, AND POTENTIAL FOR VARIOUS PRODUCTS. THE ADDITION OF FLAX FIBER IN RECYCLED THERMOPLASTIC POLYMERS REINFORCES THE MATERIAL AND REDUCES THE AMOUNT OF NON-BIODEGRADABLE MATERIALS. BIO-BASED FLAX FIBERS MAY BE CONSIDERED COST-EFFECTIVE TO GLASS FIBERS AND AN ECOLOGICAL BENEFIT OCCURS WITH CELLULOSIC FLAX COMPOSITES IN THAT END-OF-LIFE MATERIALS CAN BE RECYCLED OR INCINERATED. FIBER FLAX FOR SHORT STAPLE USES CAN BE RAPIDLY HARVESTED USING EQUIPMENT READILY AVAILABLE ON U.S. FARMS. COMMERCIAL PECTINASE-RICH ENZYMES MIXTURES WITH CALCIUM CHELATING AGENTS APPLIED TO MECHANICALLY DISRUPTED STEMS PROVIDE KEY STEPS IN THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OF A CONTROLLED AND SCIENTIFIC APPROACH TO RAPIDLY AND EFFICIENCTLY PRODUCE FLAX FIBERS OF HIGH AND CONSISTENT QUALITY. A USDA FLAX PILOT PLANT, WITH A VERSIOIN OF A COMMERCIAL FLAX CLEANING SYSTEM, IS NEAR COMPLETION AT ARS-USDA, CLEMSON, SOUTH CAROLINA. CONCURRENT WITH THIS RESEARCH IS THE DEVELOPMENT OF STANDARDS (TEXTILE COMMITTEE OF ASTM INTERNATIONAL, FLAX AND LINEN SUBCOMMITTEE, D13.17) TO JUDGE FLAX FIBER FOR QUALITY RELATED TO PROCESSING AND MARKETING DECISIONS FOR VARIOUS APPLICATIONS OF FLAX FIBER. THERMOPLASTICS THAT CONTAIN WOOD FIBERS ARE BECOMING MORE PREVALENT IN THE BUILDING INDUSTRY AS THE PRODUCTS OFFER BETTER DURABILITY AT LOWER COSTS. AMONG PLANT FIBERS, FLAX FIBER HAVE THE HIGHEST TENSILE STRENGTH AND MODULUS OF ELASTICITY. THE LOW LOAD-BEARING COST OF FLAX FIBERS IN COMPOSITES PREDICTS ITS POTENTIAL USE IN COMPOSITES AND OTHER INDUSTRIAL PRODUCTS. RECYCLED HDPE WAS COMBINED WITH FLAX (ENZYME-RETTED WITH A SERIES OF FORMULATIONS OF VARYING ENZYME AND CHELATOR COMPONENTS). PHYSICAL PROPERTIES OF THESE ENZYME-RETTED FLAX FIBERS VARIED BY ENZYME AND CHELATOR LEVELS. OUR STUDIES HAVE FOCUSED ON PRODUCING UNIFORM FIBER FROM FIBER FLAX OR WASTE SEED FLAX FOR TEXTILE OR COMPOSITE USES.