LDPE/PHB blends filled with castor oil pressed cake

Blends of PHB and LDPE were prepared by melt mixing in a twin screw extruder. Castor oil pressed cake (CC) was used as filler for the blends. The mixture design technique was used to evaluate the effect of the components proportion on the materials flexural properties. The results show that superior LDPE flexural properties may be obtained by the addition of PHB or castor oil cake to LDPE. Biodegradation was evaluated burying the samples in simulated soil for different periods of time. The ternary mixtures with higher content of PHB showed more pronounced degradation. Under the experimental co...