TY - JOUR

T1 - Strong high-density composites from wheat straw

AU - Neudecker, Felix

AU - Veigel, Stefan

AU - Bodner, Sabine

AU - Keckes, Jozef

AU - Duchoslav, Jiri

AU - Stifter, David

AU - Gindl-Altmutter, Wolfgang

N1 - Publisher Copyright: © 2024 The Author(s)

PY - 2024/10/18

Y1 - 2024/10/18

N2 - Wheat straw represents a promising resource for structural materials due to its inherent strength and availability as an underutilized agricultural by-product. However, structural features such as small diameters and a hollow, low-density design, as well as a hydrophobic, waxy surface layer, hinder conventional processing. We present an approach to overcome these hindrances by engineering delignified and densified straw strands into a mechanically strong unidirectional composite material. Wheat straw split into strands along the fiber direction was subjected to water-based and mild alkaline pre-treatments and subsequently densified. As a result, the average tensile strength and modulus of elasticity of straw strands improved to impressive 466 MPa and 26 GPa, respectively. Simultaneously, chemical changes to the surface enabled better adhesive bonding. The resulting unidirectional straw composites exhibited a flexural strength of 190 MPa and an elastic modulus of 20 GPa, well within the range of established wood and bamboo-based materials.

AB - Wheat straw represents a promising resource for structural materials due to its inherent strength and availability as an underutilized agricultural by-product. However, structural features such as small diameters and a hollow, low-density design, as well as a hydrophobic, waxy surface layer, hinder conventional processing. We present an approach to overcome these hindrances by engineering delignified and densified straw strands into a mechanically strong unidirectional composite material. Wheat straw split into strands along the fiber direction was subjected to water-based and mild alkaline pre-treatments and subsequently densified. As a result, the average tensile strength and modulus of elasticity of straw strands improved to impressive 466 MPa and 26 GPa, respectively. Simultaneously, chemical changes to the surface enabled better adhesive bonding. The resulting unidirectional straw composites exhibited a flexural strength of 190 MPa and an elastic modulus of 20 GPa, well within the range of established wood and bamboo-based materials.

KW - Biocomposite

KW - Mechanical properties

KW - Strand

KW - Surface analysis

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85206814110&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1016/j.compositesa.2024.108533

DO - 10.1016/j.compositesa.2024.108533

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:85206814110

VL - 188.2025

JO - Composites Part A: Applied Science and Manufacturing

JF - Composites Part A: Applied Science and Manufacturing

SN - 1359-835X

IS - January

M1 - 108533

ER -