A novel shell/beta-polypropylene (PP) biocomposite was prepared and characterized. Firstly, the waste shell (S) was modified by a stingy amount of pimelic acid (PA) through solution method, and then compounded with PP through melt blending method. The crystalline form, mechanical properties, and morphology of the S/beta-PP composites were studied. The results showed that shell modified by PA was a beta nucleating agent with high efficiency, resulting in the maximum K-beta value of 0.56 in PP composites. PA modification promoted the dispersion and interfacial bonding of shell powder in PP. The addition of PA-modified shell powder largely increased the impact strength of PP. (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.