Bio-Based Foamed Cushioning Materials Using Polypropylene and Wheat Bran

This study investigated bio-based plastic cushioning materials foamed through water phase-change characteristics using the natural by-product wheat bran. Experiments were carried out while increasing the wheat bran content from 20% to 70% in a blended composite material of polypropylene (PP) and wheat bran (WB). From the experimental results, we were able to prepare a bio-based plastic cushion that contained a high amount of natural materials, with a bran content of over 50%. This indicates the possibility of meeting the criteria for biodegradable plastics, as well as bio-based plastics. In this study, by inducing a foaming ratio of 95% or more, a volume-expansion ratio from 16 times to over 62 times was achieved. In addition, the optimal mixing condition for inducing a high-expansion foam was when the mixing ratio of PP and WB was 50/50, and the water content of the foaming agent was 25 parts per hundred resin. Finally, dynamic cushioning characteristics of PP50/WB50 composite foam prepared in this study and Polystyrene (PS) bead based commercial products were compared. The composite foam of this study showed comparable values, confirming commercialization possibility.