The current study discusses the preparation and characterization of green composite from coarse wool fabric and natural rubber (NR) latex. Natural rubber latex was coated on the coarse wool fabric by the hand lay-up method and vulcanized to form a flexible composite sheet. Standard techniques were used to determine the physicomechanical parameters, including areal density, thickness, solvent diffusion, and abrasion resistance. Scanning electron microscopy was used to analyze the morphology of the fracture surfaces. The composite sample was further analyzed using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy to determine changes in the chemical structure. The viscoelastic properties of the composite were investigated using a dynamic mechanical analyzer. The aging of the composite with respect to accelerated temperature, UV radiation, and soil burial was also investigated through standard methods. The developed coarse wool-rubber latex composite was found quite flexible, unlike conventional stiff fiber-reinforced composites. The scanning electron microscopy images depicted that rubber latex infiltrated the wool fabric matrix. The solvent diffusion studies showed slow penetration of water and toluene inside the composite due to a dense network of natural rubber inside the wool fabric. During the soil burial test, the composite lost 13% of its weight. A clutch bag and a shoulder bag were developed using the prepared composite. The newly developed coarse wool-NR latex composite has potential uses in technical textiles, conveyor belts, and fashion accessories.Highlights Natural rubber (NR) latex was coated on the coarse wool fabric and vulcanized. The wool-NR latex composite showed excellent physico-mechanical properties. The thermal and UV aging properties were also found to be good. The developed composite is flexible, derived purely from natural sources, and inexpensive. The wool-NR latex composite could find potential applications in fashion accessories.

This study introduces biodegradable nursery bags using poly(lactic acid) (PLA), a widely used biodegradable polymer, and spent coffee grounds (SCGs), a byproduct of the brewing process in the coffee industry. SCGs were oil-extracted to produce extracted spent coffee grounds (exSCGs), which were characterized by their physical properties, chemical functionality, and thermal behavior. The exSCGs were blended with PLA at loadings of 5, 10, and 15 wt%. Analysis showed that exSCGs retained 3-5 wt% residual coffee oil, exhibiting a lower surface area (1.1163 m(2)/g) compared to SCGs (1.5010 m(2)/g), along with a higher pore volume (1.148 x 10(-3) cm(3)/g) and pore size (similar to 410 nm). All PLA/exSCG bio-composite films displayed a light brown color, well-dispersed exSCG particles, and excellent UV light barrier properties, with transmittance reduced to 1-2%. The residual coffee oil acted as a plasticizer, reducing the glass transition temperature, melting temperature, and crystallinity with increasing exSCG content. Mechanical testing revealed enhanced flexibility compared to neat PLA. Soil burial tests showed increased biodegradability with higher exSCG content, supported by SEM analysis revealing cracks around exSCG particles. The PLA/exSCG blend containing 10 wt% exSCGs exhibited optimal performance, with a significant increase in melt flow index (from 4.22 to 8.17 g/10 min) and approximately double the melt strength of neat PLA, balancing processability and mechanical properties. This innovation provides a sustainable alternative to plastic nursery bags, addressing waste valorization and promoting eco-friendly material development for agricultural applications.

In the reported work, coarse wool fibre was mixed with natural rubber (NR) at equal proportion in two roll mixing machine and subsequently wool- NR composite was prepared using a compression moulding machine. The physico-mechanical properties of the developed composites such as tensile strength, areal density, hardness, thermal stability, water diffusion, moisture absorption, etc were analyzed. The composites were further characterized for its surface morphology, curing characteristics, accelerated aging properties, ultraviolet resistance,, and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR). The results were compared with bare vulcanized rubber (VR). It is inferred that, while adding wool in the NR matrix, the time taken for the vulcanization got considerably reduced. Though the wool - NR composite showed reduction in tensile strength in comparison with VR, the tear strength, hardness, areal density, and Young's modulus were found to be improved. Thermal analysis of the composite depicted that the incorporation of wool fibre caused an improvement in the thermal stability of the composite in comparison with the vulcanized rubber.

In this study, a green composite material made from 60% tree bark and 40% polylactic acid (PLA) was fabricated and evaluated according to its mechanical properties and biodegradability. Biodegradation tests were performed in compost, simulated aquatic environments, and natural soil. In compost, the composite degraded steadily and reached 47% biodegradation after 11 weeks. In soil, the material quickly lost much of its tensile strength, and after 6 weeks, there were signs that the surface and the internal structure had started to deform. Biodegradation in aquatic environments also caused a loss of tensile strength after only a few weeks. Because of the high filler content, excellent biodegradability, and light weight, the composite material has a low environmental footprint. The material could be used in agricultural equipment such as plant pots.