Increased demand for environmentally friendly materials resulted in a worldwide interest in manufacturing composite materials from agricultural wastes. Thus, this paper presents the results of research on the synthesis of eco-friendly composites and their properties. For their preparation, unsaturated polyester resin based on post-consumer recycled poly (ethylene terephthalate) was filled with walnut (Júglans régia L.) shell powder. After the filler incorporation, the deterioration of gloss and mechanical properties were observed. The flexural strength and modulus are significantly affected by the filler amount. Distilled water, 1% sodium hydroxide, toluene, and acetone were used as solvents in the chemical resistance test. Changes to the structure and properties of composites after 49 days of immersion in solvents were investigated. The immersion in water has no significant effect on the pure resin, but for its composites, the plasticizing effect of water was observed. The results show that all specimens show resistance toward toluene. In acetone, the resin and its composite shrink and fall into pieces, but the most destructive is an alkaline environment. After the immersion test, a huge increase in mass and a deterioration of gloss and mechanical properties were observed.
Keywords: accelerated aging; agricultural waste; chemical resistance; composites; immersion test; lignocellulosic biomass; mechanical properties; thermal properties; unsaturated polyester resin; walnut shell.