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Wood Residue-Derived Biochar as a Low-Cost, Lubricating Filler in Poly(butylene succinate-co-adipate) Biocomposites

This study focused on the development of a novel biocomposite material formed by a thermoplastic biodegradable polyester, poly(butylene succinate-co-adipate) (PBSA), and a carbonaceous filler as biochar (BC) derived by the pyrolysis of woody biomass waste. Composites with various BC contents (5, 10,...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores principales: Cappello, Miriam, Rossi, Damiano, Filippi, Sara, Cinelli, Patrizia, Seggiani, Maurizia
Formato: Online Artículo Texto
Lenguaje:English
Publicado: MDPI 2023
Materias:
Acceso en línea:https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9863910/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/36676307
http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/ma16020570
Descripción
Sumario:This study focused on the development of a novel biocomposite material formed by a thermoplastic biodegradable polyester, poly(butylene succinate-co-adipate) (PBSA), and a carbonaceous filler as biochar (BC) derived by the pyrolysis of woody biomass waste. Composites with various BC contents (5, 10, 15, and 20 wt.%) were obtained by melt extrusion and investigated in terms of their processability, thermal, rheological, and mechanical properties. In all the composites, BC lowered melt viscosity, behaving as a lubricant, and enhancing composite extrudability and injection moulding at high temperatures up to 20 wt.% of biochar. While the use of biochar did not significantly change composite thermal stability, it increased its stiffness (Young modulus). Differential scanning calorimeter (DSC) revealed the presence of a second crystal phase induced by the filler addition. Furthermore, results suggest that biochar may form a particle network that hinders polymer chain disentanglement, reducing polymer flexibility. A biochar content of 10 wt.% was selected as the best trade-off concentration to improve the composite processability and cost competitiveness without compromising excessively the tensile properties. The findings support the use of biochar as a sustainable renewable filler and pigment for PBSA. Biochar is a suitable candidate to replace more traditional carbon black pigments for the production of biodegradable and inexpensive innovative PBSA composites with potential fertilizing properties to be used in agricultural applications.