Composites using agricultural and forestry residues as raw materials with potentially high-performance, multifunctional and biodegradable ecological advantages, are viewed as very promising for new-generation lightweight and low-cost bio-based sustainable building materials. At present, the research on wood-plastic composite materials is relatively mature. However, it is still a challenge to effectively use other biomass and improve the interface of the high-polymer compound system. Herein, we proposed a simple and effective method to enhance the interfacial adhesion properties of rice husk fibre and High Density Polyethylene (HDPE) composites by the silane coupling agent KH-550 and compatibilizer Maleic anhydride grafted polyethylene (MAPE) with complementary modification. It was found that the coupling agent KH-550 cross-linked with the hydroxyl group on the husk fibre surface and solidified with the high polymer by –NH–, –C=O– functional group generation. Compatibilizer MAPE strengthened the two phases by covalently bonding with an ester linkage and lowered the roughness of the cross-section of the composites. Meanwhile the modification enhanced the dispersibility, and mechanical properties of the husk-high polymer compound system, the bending and flexural strength were improved by 11.5% and 28.9% with KH-550, and MAPE added, respectively. The flexural strength of the composites increased by 40.7% after complementary modification. Furthermore, the complementary modification treatment reduced the hydrophilic hydroxyl groups and increased the molecular chain to improve the water-resistance, elastic modulus and toughness of the composite. This study prepared a bio-composite, which is expected to expand the use of agricultural and forestry residues as an extension of wood-plastic composites.

As a byproduct from the soybean oil industry, soy meal can be reproduced into value-added products to replace formaldehyde as a plywood adhesive. However, the use of soy meal has been limited by its poor antifungal and antiseptic properties. In this work, three kinds of material, namely nano-Ag/TiO₂, zinc pyrithione, and 4-cumylphenol were applied to enhance the mildew resistance of soy meal via breakdown of the cellular structure of mildew. The fungi and mold resistance, morphology, thermal properties, and mechanism of the modified soy meal were evaluated. The success of the antifungal and antiseptic properties was confirmed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and scanning electron microscopy. The results indicated that all three kinds of material improved the fungi and mold resistance of soy meal, and sample B, which was modified with a compound of nano-Ag/TiO₂ and zinc pyrithione, was the effective antifungal raw material for the soy-based adhesives. FTIR indicated that the great improvement of antifungal properties of soy meal modified with 4-cumylphenol might be caused by the reaction between COO– groups of soy protein. This research can help understand the effects of the chemical modification of nano-Ag/TiO₂, zinc pyrithione, and 4-cumylphenol on soy meal, and the modified soy meal exhibits potential for utilization in the plywood adhesive industry.

Fly ash (FA) is the main solid waste emitted from coal-fired power plants. Due to its high yield, low utilization rate, and occupation of a large amount of land, it exerts enormous pressure on the Earth’s environment. With the deepening of the concept of sustainable development, exploring the reuse of industrial waste such as FA has become a key strategy. If FA can be combined with commonly used jewelry in people’s lives, it will be of great significance to promote the high-net-worth utilization of FA. Therefore, this study synthesized a fly-ash-based composite material with color-changing function and combined it with necklaces as the main material. In the first stage, after blending fly ash and slag, an alkaline activator with a total mass of 10% was added. When the proportion of fly ash was 60%, the compressive strength of the prepared fly-ash-based composite material reached 10.1 MPa. This was attributed to the reaction between sodium silicate in the alkaline activator and free CaO, MgO, and other substances in the fly ash to form hydrated silicate colloids, which solidify the fly ash and transform it into a complex three-dimensional network skeleton. In the second stage, a UV resistant coating with thermochromic function was obtained by blending acrylic resin, TiO₂, and a thermosensitive color-changing agent. It was applied to the surface of fly-ash-based composite materials, and the results showed that as the content of the color-changing agent increased, the number of pores on the surface of the coating gradually decreased. When the content of color-changing agent was 10%, the prepared 10%FAB not only had good surface color but also had good thermal stability, UV absorption ability, superhydrophobicity, and mechanical properties. Therefore, 10%FAB was selected as the basic material for jewelry design. In the third stage, the traditional Chinese technique of “gold inlaid with jade” was utilized to develop jewelry applications for the FA composites. As such, 10%FAB was processed into necklaces, which not only had modern design aesthetics but also had good color-changing effects above 30 °C. And after a long period of UV aging experiments, the necklace did not show any wrinkles, bubbles, or other phenomena. Due to the excitation of TiO₂ hole–electron pairs, the necklace’s UV absorption ability was further improved. This study demonstrates the potential application of industrial waste in decorative products, expands the high-end utilization of fly ash as a low-cost material, and provides new ideas for building a low-carbon lifestyle.

Corn straw is a kind of biomass material with huge reserves, which can be used in plate processing, handicraft manufacturing, indoor decoration, and other fields. To investigate the dyeing mechanism of corn straw with different dyes, corn straw was pretreated and dyed with Acid Red GR and Brilliant Red X-3B. The dyeing properties and light resistance of the two dyes were analyzed by dyeing rate, photochromaticity, FTIR, SEM, and water-washing firmness. The results showed that the structure and stability of the dyes were the main factors which influenced fading. A bleaching pretreatment could remove the waxiness of the corn straw epidermis and increase the porosity on the surface of the straw, which accelerated the photochromic coloring of the corn straw skin. The corn straw dyed with both dyes had good light resistance, but the straw dyed with Reactive Brilliant Red X-3B had higher dyeing rate, brighter color, and higher photochromaticity than the straw dyed with Acid Red GR. FTIR and water-washing firmness showed that Acid Red GR mainly bound to lignin, while Reactive Brilliant Red X-3B mainly bound to cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin in corn straw through covalent bonds, which increased the coloring rate.