Improving compatibility between coffee or black tea ground wastes and polymer matrix via silane treatment for production sustainable biofillers

Abstract The incorporation of bio-waste products into polymer materials as a fillers and colorants represents a highly significant approach for developing sustainable composites, aligning with the principles of a circular bioeconomy and contributing to reduced environmental impact. In this study, co...

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Main Authors: Bolesław Szadkowski, Magdalena Śliwka-Kaszyńska, Anna Marzec
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Nature Portfolio 2025-04-01
Series:Scientific Reports
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Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-97980-7
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author Bolesław Szadkowski
Magdalena Śliwka-Kaszyńska
Anna Marzec
author_facet Bolesław Szadkowski
Magdalena Śliwka-Kaszyńska
Anna Marzec
author_sort Bolesław Szadkowski
collection DOAJ
description Abstract The incorporation of bio-waste products into polymer materials as a fillers and colorants represents a highly significant approach for developing sustainable composites, aligning with the principles of a circular bioeconomy and contributing to reduced environmental impact. In this study, coffee grounds (CG) and black tea grounds (BTG), two mainstream food processing by-products, were employed as bio-fillers and pigments for ethylene-norbornene (EN) composites. The effects of hydrophobic treatment with (3-aminopropyl)triethoxysilane (APTS) on CG and BTG powders were compared to those of untreated bio-fillers with respect to dispersion, color characteristics, mechanical properties, and UV aging stability of the polymer composites subjected to 50, 100, 200 and 300 h of UV aging. Both the waste additives and the resulting composites were characterized through Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, tensile testing, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and spectrophotometric method. The obtained results demonstrated that the silanization of CG and BTG bio-fillers improved their dispersion within the EN matrix, consequently enhancing the UV aging resistance of the polymer composites. The EN/CG-APTS composite exhibited the best mechanical properties during the aging process, with the highest aging factor value of 0.6 after 300 h. On the other hand, the EN/BTG-APTS composite showed the smallest color change (ΔE = 7.8) after 300 h of aging. These findings indicate that improving the compatibility of bio-fillers with the polymer matrix can further increase their application potential in sustainable polymer materials technology.
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spelling doaj-art-73e2b4b260514f35965b7bbe28134c242025-08-20T03:18:34ZengNature PortfolioScientific Reports2045-23222025-04-0115111410.1038/s41598-025-97980-7Improving compatibility between coffee or black tea ground wastes and polymer matrix via silane treatment for production sustainable biofillersBolesław Szadkowski0Magdalena Śliwka-Kaszyńska1Anna Marzec2Institute of Polymer and Dye Technology, Faculty of Chemistry, Lodz University of TechnologyDepartment of Organic Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, Gdansk University of TechnologyInstitute of Polymer and Dye Technology, Faculty of Chemistry, Lodz University of TechnologyAbstract The incorporation of bio-waste products into polymer materials as a fillers and colorants represents a highly significant approach for developing sustainable composites, aligning with the principles of a circular bioeconomy and contributing to reduced environmental impact. In this study, coffee grounds (CG) and black tea grounds (BTG), two mainstream food processing by-products, were employed as bio-fillers and pigments for ethylene-norbornene (EN) composites. The effects of hydrophobic treatment with (3-aminopropyl)triethoxysilane (APTS) on CG and BTG powders were compared to those of untreated bio-fillers with respect to dispersion, color characteristics, mechanical properties, and UV aging stability of the polymer composites subjected to 50, 100, 200 and 300 h of UV aging. Both the waste additives and the resulting composites were characterized through Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, tensile testing, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and spectrophotometric method. The obtained results demonstrated that the silanization of CG and BTG bio-fillers improved their dispersion within the EN matrix, consequently enhancing the UV aging resistance of the polymer composites. The EN/CG-APTS composite exhibited the best mechanical properties during the aging process, with the highest aging factor value of 0.6 after 300 h. On the other hand, the EN/BTG-APTS composite showed the smallest color change (ΔE = 7.8) after 300 h of aging. These findings indicate that improving the compatibility of bio-fillers with the polymer matrix can further increase their application potential in sustainable polymer materials technology.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-97980-7Bio-waste engineeringCoffee groundsTea groundsSilaneColorantsPolymer aging
spellingShingle Bolesław Szadkowski
Magdalena Śliwka-Kaszyńska
Anna Marzec
Improving compatibility between coffee or black tea ground wastes and polymer matrix via silane treatment for production sustainable biofillers
Scientific Reports
Bio-waste engineering
Coffee grounds
Tea grounds
Silane
Colorants
Polymer aging
title Improving compatibility between coffee or black tea ground wastes and polymer matrix via silane treatment for production sustainable biofillers
title_full Improving compatibility between coffee or black tea ground wastes and polymer matrix via silane treatment for production sustainable biofillers
title_fullStr Improving compatibility between coffee or black tea ground wastes and polymer matrix via silane treatment for production sustainable biofillers
title_full_unstemmed Improving compatibility between coffee or black tea ground wastes and polymer matrix via silane treatment for production sustainable biofillers
title_short Improving compatibility between coffee or black tea ground wastes and polymer matrix via silane treatment for production sustainable biofillers
title_sort improving compatibility between coffee or black tea ground wastes and polymer matrix via silane treatment for production sustainable biofillers
topic Bio-waste engineering
Coffee grounds
Tea grounds
Silane
Colorants
Polymer aging
url https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-97980-7
work_keys_str_mv AT bolesławszadkowski improvingcompatibilitybetweencoffeeorblackteagroundwastesandpolymermatrixviasilanetreatmentforproductionsustainablebiofillers
AT magdalenasliwkakaszynska improvingcompatibilitybetweencoffeeorblackteagroundwastesandpolymermatrixviasilanetreatmentforproductionsustainablebiofillers
AT annamarzec improvingcompatibilitybetweencoffeeorblackteagroundwastesandpolymermatrixviasilanetreatmentforproductionsustainablebiofillers