Development of a New Type of Flame Retarded Biocomposite Reinforced with a Biocarbon/Basalt Fiber System: A Comparative Study between Poly(lactic Acid) and Polypropylene

Abstract

A new type of partially biobased reinforcing filler system was developed in order to be used as a flame retardant for polylactic acid (PLA) and polypropylene (PP)-based composites. The prepared materials intended for injection technique processing were melt blended using the novel system containing ammonium polyphosphate (EX), biocarbon (BC), and basalt fibers (BF). All of the prepared samples were subjected to a detailed analysis. The main criterion was the flammability of composites. For PLA-based composites, the flammability was significantly reduced, up to V-0 class. The properties of PLA/EX/BC and PLA/EX/(BC-BF) composites were characterized by their improved mechanical properties. The conducted analysis indicates that the key factor supporting the effectiveness of EX flame retardants is the addition of BC, while the use of BF alone increases the flammability of the samples to the reference level. The results indicate that the developed materials can be easily applied in industrial practice as effective and sustainable flame retardants.

Development and characterization of groundnut shell‐derived biocarbon‐reinforced polylactic acid composite filaments for FDM

“…In another study, coconut shell biochar incorporated PLA composites showed improved mechanical and thermal properties. 15,21 The flame retardance properties also improved with the inclusion of biochar derived from miscanthus 22 and wood chips 23 into PLA. Aup-Ngoen et al 24 extracted biochar from various biomass such as durian peel, pineapple peel, cassava rhizome, and corncob through the pyrolysis process.…”