{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,2,13]],"date-time":"2026-02-13T13:45:17Z","timestamp":1770990317816,"version":"3.50.1"},"reference-count":53,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"8","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2024,7,26]],"date-time":"2024-07-26T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1721952000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"Agenda ILLIANCE","award":["C644919832-00000035"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["C644919832-00000035"]}]},{"name":"Agenda ILLIANCE","award":["UIDB\/00481\/2020"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["UIDB\/00481\/2020"]}]},{"name":"Agenda ILLIANCE","award":["UIDP\/00481\/2020"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["UIDP\/00481\/2020"]}]},{"name":"TEMA","award":["C644919832-00000035"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["C644919832-00000035"]}]},{"name":"TEMA","award":["UIDB\/00481\/2020"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["UIDB\/00481\/2020"]}]},{"name":"TEMA","award":["UIDP\/00481\/2020"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["UIDP\/00481\/2020"]}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["J. Compos. Sci."],"abstract":"<jats:p>Agro-waste fibres for polymer composite reinforcement have gained increased interest in industry and academia as a more sustainable alternative to synthetic fibres. However, natural fibre composite (NFC) hygroscopicity is still an issue that needs to be solved. This work investigates how prolonged exposure to water affects the properties of the polypropylene (PP)-based injection-moulded composites reinforced with different contents of rice husk (rh) and olive pit (op) fibres. Both rh and op composites became more hydrophilic with increased fibre charge due to the affinity of cellulose and hemicellulose OH groups. Meanwhile, lignin contributes to the protection of the composites from thermo-oxidative degradation caused by water immersion. The PPrh composites had a higher saturation water content of 1.47% (20 wt.% rh) and 2.38% (30 wt.% rh) in comparison to PPop composites with an absorption of 1.13% (20 wt.% op) and 1.59% (30 wt.% op). The tensile elastic modulus has slightly increased, at the cost of the increased saturated composites\u2019 rigidity, in composites with 30% rh and op fibre content (up to 13%) while marginally decreasing (down to 8%) in PP30%op compared to unsaturated counterparts. A similar trend was observed for the flexural modulus, enhanced up to 18%. However, rh and op composites with 30% fibre content ruptured in bending, highlighting their fragility after hydrolytic ageing.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/jcs8080288","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2024,7,26]],"date-time":"2024-07-26T09:22:42Z","timestamp":1721985762000},"page":"288","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":7,"title":["Assessment of Long-Term Water Absorption on Thermal, Morphological, and Mechanical Properties of Polypropylene-Based Composites with Agro-Waste Fillers"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"8","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-2150-6241","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Tatiana","family":"Zhiltsova","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"TEMA\u2014Centre for Mechanical Engineering and Automation, Mechanical Engineering Department, University of Aveiro, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal"},{"name":"LASI\u2014Intelligent Systems Associate Laboratory, 4800-058 Guimar\u00e3es, Portugal"}]},{"given":"Andreia","family":"Costa","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"OLI-Sistemas Sanit\u00e1rios, S.A. Travessa de Mil\u00e3o, Esgueira, 3800-314 Aveiro, Portugal"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-6190-1238","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"M\u00f3nica S. A.","family":"Oliveira","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"TEMA\u2014Centre for Mechanical Engineering and Automation, Mechanical Engineering Department, University of Aveiro, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal"},{"name":"LASI\u2014Intelligent Systems Associate Laboratory, 4800-058 Guimar\u00e3es, Portugal"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2024,7,26]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","unstructured":"European Commission, Directorate-General for Climate Action (2019). 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