Sustainable Building Composites from Agricultural and Textile Waste in PBAT/PLA Matrices

Authors- Baskar K, Assistant professor D.R.Krithika

Abstract-The increasing ecological footprint of conventional building materials necessitates the exploration of sustainable alternatives. This research addresses the problem by examining the feasibility of using agricultural (rice husk, wheat husk, wood fibers) and textile waste fibers in biodegradable poly(butylene adipate-co-terephthalate)/poly(lactic acid) (PBAT/PLA) composites manufactured through hot pressing. The aim is to create environmentally friendly materials with appropriate structural and thermal characteristics for building construction. The system leverages the waste streams and a biodegradable binder to create composites, with compressive strengths of 11-40 MPa and flexural strengths of 0.80-2.25 MPa. Rice husk composites are particularly noted for good insulation properties (density: 378 kg/m³, thermal conductivity: 0.08 W/mK) and water resistance (42% water absorption). Benefits include waste minimization, reduced environmental footprint compared to conventional materials, and possible energy-saving applications in building construction.

DOI: /10.61463/ijset.vol.13.issue3.136