Using of sea straw (Posidonia Oceanica) as a filler with polyethylene and the study of its effect on the properties of the polymer

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of adding a filler (sea straw) to the polyethylene polymer, and this material was utilized as a filler with the local polyethylene produced by Ras Lanuf Oil and Gas Manufacturing Company and classed as linear low-density polyethylene (LLDPE) type LLF-181N. The employed fillers were ground and screened, the granule size was calculated, and polyethylene blends with sea straw in various amounts (0, 5, 10, 15, 20, 30) % were made. The mixing process for these proportions was performed on the Two Roll Machine, and an amount of 65 gm for each mixture was placed on special molds with a thickness of 2 mm, which were pressed and formed in a heat press machine at a temperature of 180 ° C and a pressure of about 8 bar, after which the samples were cut and formed in a funnel shape from both sides to be stretched through them. and these samples are placed in a special room for 40 hours before the test at a temperature of 23c and humidity of 50%, after which tests are conducted according to the American method (ASTM D638), and the results of hardness, impact strength, and mechanical properties, as well as the results of thermal analysis, proved that the best percentages of addition start from 10% to 20%, which are the best percentages for study