High-density polyethylene/artichoke leaf powder polymer composites: dynamic mechanical, morphological and thermal properties

High-density polyethylene (HDPE) composites were reinforced with artichoke leaf powder (ALP) at different concentrations of 0%–30% (by weights). Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) was used to observe the chemical bonds of these materials. In addition, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was examined to evaluate the microstructure of artichoke leaf particles and the effect of ALP addition on compatibility. The results of dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) and thermogravimetric differential thermal analysis (TG/DTA) showed that the addition of ALP provided enhanced viscoelastic and thermal properties. In the X-ray diffraction (XRD) results, ALP addition to HDPE caused peaks to shift and their intensity decreased with increasing ALP concentration. Melting and crystallization temperatures of the samples were obtained by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) analysis. Moreover, tensile properties including elasticity modulus, tensile strength-at-break, yield strength and elongation percentage were evaluated. The results of the tensile tests revealed that tensile strength-at-break and elasticity modulus of ALP-reinforced HDPE composites enhanced with increasing ALP loading. On the other hand, elongation-at-break percentage decreased sharply with increasing ALP weight fraction. This study has shown that the composites reinforced with ALP as natural fillers could be regarded as a promising alternative among wood plastic composites (WPCs). Graphical abstract