6. INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS ON CONTEMPORARY SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH
ECO FRIENDLY COMPOSITE APPROACHES: POLYVINYL ALCOHOLBASED COMPOSITE MATERIALS ENRICHED WITH ARTICHOKE STEMS AND THEIR PROPERTIES
Today, petroleum-based polymers such as polypropylene (PP), polyethylene (PE), polystyrene (PS), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyamide (PA) and polyvinylchloride (PVC) are widely used, especially in the packaging and packing sectors. However, while population density and rapidly increasing consumption rates endanger the adequacy of petroleum resources, an important consequence of this situation is environmental pollution. Considering the sector needs shaped within the framework of low cost, improved mechanical and thermal performance, easy accessibility and manufacturability, the use of bio-based environmentally friendly polymers alone may be limited. At this stage, biopolymers are reinforced with various synthetic or natural additives. Polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), obtained by hydrolysis of polyvinyl acetate, is a nontoxic, biocompatible semi-crystalline polymer that is completely biodegradable. Since PVA has the potential to form hydrogen bonds with the hydrophilic surfaces of bio-based additives, it is one of the important alternatives in the production of environmentally friendly green composites. In countries like Turkey, where agricultural industry has an important place in their economies, agricultural wastes may arise after harvesting or processing of agricultural products. Artichoke stalk is one of these wastes and is classified as agricultural wastes with its lignocellulosic content. When the materials obtained from agricultural wastes are evaluated as natural-based additives and used together with polymeric materials, a significant advantage can be provided in terms of both our environment and sustainability.In this study, ground artichoke stem powder (AS) was added to the PVA matrix at 1, 3 and 5 wt%. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy analyses (FT-IR), differential scanning calorimetry analyses (DSC), thermogravimetric analyses (TGA) and tensile tests were performed. The addition of artichoke stem powder as an additive increased the thermal resistance of the composites. The elongation values of the films increased with the addition of artichoke stem powders and a slight decrease was observed in the tensile strength results.
