Relevant Applications

From electronic devices to white-out cases, there are many objects in our daily life made from harmful non-biodegradable plastics that are used for a short period of time and then discarded, adding burden to landfills and releasing harmful chemicals such as polybrominated diphenyl ethers into our environment. These objects are often subject to high amounts of use and thus demand high-strength materials. Thus, there is an increasing demand on the market for novel, high performance materials that do not leave a heavy ecological footprint. If our composite proves to be stronger than the current plastics commonly used such as ABS, then our material could potentially serve as a replacement for plastics used in electronic devices, common household and office products, toys, and even automobile parts. The composite would not only provide consumers with a non-toxic material but also abate the environmental and health impact of plastic wastes.

Benefits:

Structural
Cellulose acetate's high structural strength, high melting point, and low reactivity to organic materials are enhanced by the high flexural and tensile strength of natural fibers.

Commercial
While natural fibres are not as strong as glass, most natural fibers are only 1/3 the cost of glass fibers. Fiber-reinforced-thermoplastics (FRPs) have many other applications and the biodegradability of cellulose acetate may reduce waste processing expenses.

Environmental
Biodegradable composite materials help limit the amount of waste as well as utilize fibers that are otherwise disposed of as agricultural waste. We can use garbage containing a great amount of cellulose (e.g. orange peels) to both synthesize the cellulose acetate and reinforce the plastic. Currently, biodegradable fibres have been used to reinforce non-biodegradable matrices, and there has been research into biodegradable plastics such as cellulose acetate, but little effort has been made to combine the two. Our project seeks to take the best of both worlds by reinforcing biodegradable cellulose acetate with natural, biodegradable fibres that require little environmental cost to grow. Also, cellulose-based composites cut down our reliance on fossil fuels for plastics and reduce pollution and carbon dioxide emissions.

Health
Cellulose acetate is relatively non-reactive with organic materials and does not contain any toxins .

Science
The results from our experiment could help determine how feasible natural fibre reinforced cellulose acetate is as a replacement for current plastics on the market. This in turn can help companies and scientists decide whether or not it is a good idea to conduct further research regarding cellulose acetate. Also, our experiments will determine which fibres have high potential in reinforcing cellulose acetate and how the two different methods of reinforcement influence the characteristics of our composite. This information would be useful for someone wishing to conduct further research in this topic as well as for companies wishing to decide what method of reinforcement and which fibre to use for their products.