Aging Properties and Biodegradation Rate of Styrofoam Composite Filled with Modified Sawdust

Aging treatment has been done to test the thermal resistance of styrofoam composite filled with modified sawdust. The results showed that the mechanical properties of the composites declined after the aging treatment was done. The percentage of retention as tensile strength, flexural strength, and impact strength were 70.0%, 44.3%, and 41.7%, respectively. These showed that the composite had encountered thermal degradation during aging treatment. For the biodegradation, the percentage of weight loss of the composites was low. The biodegradation process by hanging the composite in open air was relatively faster than burying in soil. These results, which were confirmed by scanning electron microscopy, showed that the composites have some pores/cavities.