DEGRADATION OF MATER-BI /WOOD FLOUR BIOCOMPOSITES IN ACTIVE SEWAGE SLUDGE

Over the past decades, biodegradable polymers attracted the interest of both academia and industry for their reduced environmental impact. In some cases, the mechanical and thermomechanical properties of these materials are not adequate for certain applications and the addition of a filler is therefore necessary. Among the different fillers, natural fibers are particularly interesting because they potentially allow improving the performance of the material without compromising its biodegradability. In this work, we studied the biodegradation of MaterBi-wood flour composites in an active sewage sludge plant. In particular, we studied the difference between different treatment conditions during the summer and the winter. We also evaluated the effect of the pre-treatment on the matrix and of the different processing methods paying particular attention to the relationships between the surface roughness and the biodegradation rate.