Search

The use of environmentally friendly materials such as bio-sourced plastics is being driven by increased awareness of environmental issues caused by synthetic plastics. However, bio-sourced plastics have poor fire behaviour that limits their application. The addition of a flame retardant to these plastics is one effective way to increase the fire resistance property; however, the flame retardant should not interfere with the mechanical performance of the plastic. Most flame retardants act as stress concentration points, reducing tensile strength. Hence, to create a balance between tensile strength and fire resistance, biochar (to conserve strength) and lanosol (to improve fire resistance) were added to wheat gluten bioplastic in various ratios and the optimal ratio was identified. Wheat gluten composites were fabricated using compression moulding at four different concentrations of lanosol (2, 4, 6, and 8 wt.%) and biochar (2, 4, 6, and 8 wt.%). From the test results, the composite with 4 wt.% lanosol and 6 wt.% biochar exhibited a good balance between the mechanical and fire properties; it conserved the strength and improved the fire properties (39 % reduction in peak heat release rate)., QC 20230207

Biochar has unique physical and chemical properties, making it a viable and sustainable future generation material for a variety of applications. The applications include power generation, composite production, construction (as a reinforcement), and soil amendment. The inherent good mechanical and combustion (or fire) resistance properties of biochar are attractive, however, there are limited reports, despite its effects on bulk material properties being well-documented. Comprehending these innate properties of biochar is critical for tailoring the mechanical and fire properties of biochar-based materials and structures. Therefore, an attempt has been made in this article to garner and analyse literatures reported on the mechanical and combustion properties of biochar without being integrated with a material or structural system (e.g. composite). Biochar produced at high pyrolysis temperatures (>500 celcius) showed high fire resistance property, because of the absence of the volatile matters and development of strong C-C covalent bonds. The mechanical and combustion properties of biochar can be controlled by varying the biochar size, porous nature, and pyrolysis temperature. The information presented in this article is crucial and can be used as a guide to develop biochar-based materials and structures for mechanical and fire resistance applications., QC 20220718