Repurposing the jarosite waste as a novel nanofiller for the preparation of biocomposites

Abstract

Jarosite is an inorganic byproduct waste produced during the purification and refining of zinc in the industry. Recycling such waste as a filler in biocomposites could be a sustainable solution to manage it. To create jute-jarosite-soy biocomposites, varying weight percentages of jarosite are combined with soy resin and applied to woven jute cloth. The impact of jarosite on the mechanical characteristics, hardness, fire retardant, thermal stability, hydrophobicity, and degrading nature of jute-soy composites was investigated, and it was discovered that its presence by a part of 3 weight percentage enhanced tensile strength by 37.2% and flexural strength by 34.7%, respectively. The hardness and thermal stability of jute-jarosite-soy composites are enhanced by 17.5% and 35.8%, respectively, over jute-soy composites. After 60 days, soil burial analyses of these composites revealed more than 70% weight loss. Due to its moderate strength and entirely biodegradable nature, manufactured jute-jarosite-soy composite can be used to replace non-degradable thermoplastic usage in several sectors.