Puji Rizana Ayu Mentari, Suharti Suharti, Ilham Andreansyah, Agus Wedi Pratama, Siti Agustina, Sona Suhartana, Firda Aulya Syamani
Indonesia possesses abundant seaweed resources; however, their use in composites remains limited. This study investigates the impact of incorporating green seaweed (Caulerpa lentillifera) as a filler and polyethylene-grafted-maleic anhydride (PE-g-MA) as a coupling agent on the mechanical, thermal, morphological, water uptake, and soil degradation properties of high-density polyethylene (HDPE) biocomposite. C. lentillifera content in the biocomposite was varied from 10% to 40%, PE-gMA content ranged from 0% to 15%, and C. lentillifera particle size was also varied. Results indicate that adding C. lentillifera significantly increases the biocomposite's modulus of elasticity (up to 1.63 GPa), thermal stability, and soil degradation resistance (up to 15%). The incorporation of PE-g-MA (up to 5%) effectively reduces water uptake to 0.94%, slightly improves mechanical properties, and enhances interfacial adhesion compared to the un-compatibilized biocomposite. A smaller C. lentillifera particle size further decreases water uptake and soil degradation, reaching 0.45% and 1.13%, respectively. © 2024 by the authors.
Department of Chemistry, State University of Malang, Jl. Semarang No. 5, East Java, Malang City, 65145, Indonesia; Faculty of Industrial Technology, Jayabaya University, DKI Jakarta, 16452, Indonesia; Department of Chemistry, Institut Teknologi Sepuluh Nopember, Jl. Kampus ITS, East Java, Surabaya, 60117, Indonesia; Research Center for Agroindustry, National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), Banten, Tangerang Selatan, 15314, Indonesia; Research Center for Ecology and Ethnobiology, National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), Jl. Raya Jakarta-Bogor Km.46, West Java, Cibinong, 16911, Indonesia; Research Center for Biomass and Bioproduct, National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), Jl. Raya Jakarta-Bogor Km.46, West Java, Cibinong, 16911, Indonesia; Research Collaboration Center for Marine Biomaterials, Jl. Ir. Sukarno, KM 21, Jatinangor, Sumedang, West Java, 45363, Indonesia
