About this Abstract |
| Meeting |
2027 TMS Annual Meeting & Exhibition
|
| Symposium
|
Natural Fibers and Biocomposites
|
| Presentation Title |
Mechanical Behavior of Algae-Guayule Natural Rubber Biocomposites |
| Author(s) |
Siddharth Premnath, Anil Saigal, Chiara Daraio |
| On-Site Speaker (Planned) |
Anil Saigal |
| Abstract Scope |
The urgency of reducing plastics’ ecological footprint has driven efforts to replace petroleum-based polymers with sustainable alternatives. Biocomposites composed of natural fibers embedded in bio-based matrices offer a promising route forward. However, despite their reduced carbon footprint and renewable inputs, many current biocomposites still rely on non-renewable or heavily processed binders, which undercuts their sustainability claims. The goal of this project is to develop biocomposites consisting of algae-based matrices mixed with natural rubber. Cultured algal cells are an ideal starting material due to their uniformity, rapid growth, and capacity for structural modification. Using compression molding, bulk composite materials were fabricated with varying Guayule natural rubber latex (GNR) content from 0-15 wt% and were used to evaluate their mechanical performance under uniaxial compression and cyclic compression testing. It was found that the Young's modulus, cyclic peak stress, hysteresis energy and the swelling of the composites decreased with increasing latex content. |
| Proceedings Inclusion? |
Planned: |
| Keywords |
Biomaterials, Composites, Mechanical Properties |