Mechanical and thermal characterization of as-received recycled polyethylene filled with rice husk and their relationship to the end use of these composites

Waste can be considered a crisis across the world, especially in the Global South where landfills are collapsing and vector-borne illnesses are increasing. Due to the increase in the amount of waste plastic in the environment, different uses of recycled plastics are being investigated. One such use is roofing tiles. This has been put in place in Sri Lanka through the Waste for Life organization. Here, recycled polyethylene is filled with rice husk particles. Due to the hydrophilic nature of the rice husk, the strength of the polyethylene composites decreased with increasing rice husk filler. Since the roofing tiles do not need to support a large load, the loss in strength should not be too detrimental. However, the creep behavior was improved with 10% and 20% filler. This is important in that the temperature on the roof can reach high temperatures.