Formulations and products to replace single-use plastics and polystyrene with bio-benign materials such as agricultural wastes

A cured almond or pecan nut waste composite prepared by the following steps:

• a) providing an almond or pecan nut waste component selected from the group consisting of almond or pecan nut shells, almond or pecan, nut hulls, and a combination of almond or pecan nut shells and nut hulls;
• b) drying the almond or pecan nut waste component or adjusting the almond or pecan nut waste component to a pH of 5.0 to 8.0 then drying, sterilizing, or torrefying the almond or pecan nut waste component;
• c) cooling the dried or pH adjusted then dried, sterilized, or torrefied the almond or pecan nut waste component to room temperature;
• d) grinding the almond or pecan nut waste component to a size less than 250 μm or less than 500 μm and greater than 250 μm;
• e) compounding the almond or pecan nut waste component from step (d), one or more binders selected from a group consisting of polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB), polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA), polylactic acid (PLA), polycaprolactone (PCL), guayule, natural latex, bentonite, an anionic starch, hyaluronic acid, triethylcitrate, and any combinations thereof;
• one or more fillers;
• and an oil producing a compounded mixture;
• f) heating the compounded mixture to a temperature from about 110° C. to about 200° C. for less than about 5 minutes;
• g) extruding, molding, or thermoforming the compounded mixture from step (f) into a form;
• and
• h) cooling the form to form the cured nut waste composite;
• wherein the compounded mixture in step (e) consists of about 35.0 weight % (wt. %) to about 75.0 wt. % of the nut waste component, about 25.0 wt. % to 40.0 wt. % of one or more binders, about 0.0 wt. % to about 25.0 wt. % of one or more fillers;
• and 0.0 and 0.0 to 20.0 wt. % of an oil;
• wherein the cured almond or pecan nut waste composite exhibits an elastic modulus ranging from about 0.8 GPa to about 1.2 GPa and toughness ranging from about 0.006 J/m3 to about 0.7 J/m3.