Biodegradable and flexible fiber-reinforced composite sheet from tannery solid wastes: An approach of waste minimization

The rising concern towards environmental issues and non-recyclable solid wastes preservation needs has led to the development of high-performance biodegradable composite materials with new functionalities. In this regard, the current study focused on fabricating flexible and biodegradable composite sheets by utilizing waste buffing dust (BD) and sugarcane fiber (SF). Flexible composite sheets were fabricated using simple solution casting method with different mixing ratios of BD and SF. Wide range of characterizations like ultraviolet-vis spectroscopy, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, tensile tests, x-ray diffractometry, scanning electron microscopy, oxygen gas transmittance rate, and soil burial tests were conducted to comprehensively evaluate their performance. The obtained results were highly promising which reveals strong bonding between BD and SF along with a uniform surface quality. Particularly, the enhancement in various key characteristics was observed for composite sheets compared to pure BD sheets. The composite sheets with the optimal content of natural rubber latex demonstrated a significant increase in tensile strength, elongation, hardness, and density by 61%, 42%, 37%, and 44%, respectively. Additionally, the composite sheet has witnessed significant improvements with an increase by 36% in gas barrier property and an enhancement of 39% in biodegradability. These findings highlight the potential of these composite sheets as a versatile material suitable for a wide range of applications which includes packaging, interior furnishing industries, and reinforcing elements in the footwear industry. Numerous advantages like simplicity, cost-effectiveness, and flexibility of these composite sheets offer an environmentally friendly alternative that is capable of reducing waste and promoting sustainable practices.