Hemp Seed Hull and Cellulose Acetate Thermoplastic Biocomposites and Their Properties

The study explores the potential of thermoplastic biocomposites made from cellulose acetate, modified hemp seed hull particulate fillers and environmentally friendly plasticizer triacetin. Emphasizing the environmental advantages of utilizing natural materials, the research demonstrates the impact of different hemp hull chemical modification, such as alkali treatment or acetylation, on the mechanical properties of the resultant composites. Hemp seed hulls treated with 4–16% NaOH solution were studied using SEM imaging, FT-IR, XRD and chemical composition analyses. The study showed that alkaline treatment of hemp seed hull particles improved the mechanical properties of biocomposites, and the optimum concentration of NaOH solution ranged from 8 to 12%. The tensile modulus increased by 17–24%, and the tensile strength improved by 21–23% in biocomposites containing HH8 and HH12 fillers, while hardness increased by approximately 11–13%. It was also demonstrated that alkaline treatment of hemp seed hull fillers accelerated the biodegradation of biocomposite extrudates under aerobic conditions in a standard aqueous medium. Overall, the results demonstrated the potential of alkaline-treated hemp seed hulls as fillers in composite bioplastics.