pps proceeding - Abstract Preview
pps proceeding
Symposium: S21 - Special Symposium: Biopolymers, eco-friendly polymers and recycling
Poster Presentation
 
 

Sustainable Composites from Poly(Lactic Acid) and Coffee/Tea Waste

Mocan Merve (1)*, Arıtürk Gizem Semra (2), Kaymakçı Orkun (1)

(1) Arcelik, Material Technologies Lab, Polymers & Chemicals - Istanbul - Turkey, (2) Istanbul Technical University - Istanbul - Turkey

Poly(lactic acid) (PLA) is an environmentally-friendly polymer compared to its conventional alternatives e.g. polypropylene, polyethylene, polystyrene and acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene copolymer since it can be produced from renewable resources such as starch, therefore, has much lower carbon footprint. Vast amounts of food waste are being produced every day which cause serious pollution for the environment. While decreasing the food waste is an essential gain, it is also fruitful to add value to these waste products by blending with polymers to improve material properties. Over 2.25 billion cups of coffee are consumed in the world every day which makes 5.4 million tons of spent coffee ground annually.[1] 3 billion tons of tea are produced worldwide every year. Only U.S. imported an estimated 217,221,887 kilograms of tea for domestic consumption.[2] Increasing the value of these amount of food waste will be beneficial for the environment and to improve the properties of PLA. In this study, we fabricated environmentally-friendly PLA composites with used tea leaves and spent coffee grounds. Mechanical properties of the composites were investigated by tensile, flexural and Izod impact testing. Characterization of the thermal properties were carried out by using differential scanning calorimeter and thermal gravimetrical analysis. Not only properties of PLA were enhanced, but also, with this composite fabrication, we contribute to reduce waste in the environment, in line with the Sustainable Development Goals of UN[3] and Arçelik’s company vision “Respecting the World, Respected Worldwide”. References: 1- Ponte, Stefano. "The 'Latte Revolution'? Regulation, Markets and Consumption in the Global Coffee Chain". World Development. Elsevier Science Ltdlume=30: 1099–1122. doi:10.1016/s0305-750x(02)00032-3 2- https://brandongaille.com/18-shocking-tea-consumption-statistics/ 3- Goal 9: Build resilient infrastructure, promote sustainable industrialization and foster innovation Goal 12: Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns, also play beneficial role on Goal 14: Life below water and Goal 15: Life on land.