PARTICLE SIZE ANALYSIS OF AGRICULTURAL WASTE RESIDUES AS A PRELIMINARY STEP TOWARDS THEIR VALORIZATION IN BIO-COMPOSITE MATERIALS
Keywords:
Agricultural Waste, Particle Size Analysis, Bio-Composites, Sieve Analysis, Sustainable MaterialsAbstract
Agricultural waste poses both an environmental concern and a valuable resource for sustainable material innovation. Transforming these residues into useful inputs for bio-composites offers a practical path toward waste reduction and eco-friendly development. This study focuses on the particle size characteristics of three agricultural residues—egg shell, corn cob, and fish bone—as an early step toward their potential application in composite materials. The three agricultural waste residues were collected, processed, and ground for sieve analysis. Each sample (50 g) was sieved using mesh sizes from 7 mm to 0.1 mm. Particle weights retained on each sieve were recorded to calculate percentage weight retained, cumulative weight retained, and cumulative percentage passing. Grain size distribution curves were plotted, and robust M-estimators—Huber’s, Tukey’s Biweight, Hampel’s, and Andrews’ Wave—were used to identify central tendencies. Normality tests (Kolmogorov-Smirnov and Shapiro-Wilk) showed non-normal distribution, prompting the use of non-parametric tests: Kruskal-Wallis and Jonckheere-Terpstra. Sieve analysis showed that egg shell retained the most particles at 0.1 mm (\[40.278g], \[80.556%]), while fish bone retained broader size ranges, notably at 7 mm (\[1.291g], \[2.582%]). M-estimators revealed Huber’s method recorded the highest percentage retention for all residues (\[5.560%] for egg shell). Tests of normality showed only egg shell data deviated significantly (p < \[0.05]). Ranking results indicated fish bone had the highest mean rank in weight retained (\[8.40]), but egg shell ranked highest in cumulative weight passing (\[8.50]). Kruskal-Wallis and Jonckheere-Terpstra tests (p = \[0.949] and \[0.751], respectively) confirmed no significant distribution differences among the residues. These findings are vital for bio-composite design, as particle size directly influences material behavior, bonding quality, surface interaction, and mechanical strength. Understanding these characteristics helps guide the selection and processing of agricultural fillers, ultimately enhancing composite performance and promoting circular economy goals.
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