High‐value use of lignocellulosic‐rich eucommia residue for promoting mechanical properties and flame retardancy of poly(butylene succinate)

Abstract

Cellulose‐ and lignin‐based fillers can significantly enhance the mechanical properties and flame retardancy of biomass polyesters, whereas complicated and high‐cost processes may be necessary for the extraction. Thus, we explored the direct use of eucommia residues (ERs), a plantation waste containing rich lignocellulosic substances (ca. 18% cellulose, 13% hemicellulose, and 35% lignin), to reinforce polyesters and improve their flame retardancy. With poly(butylene succinate) (PBS) as the polyester matrix, the ER could enhance the tensile and flexural modulus of polyester‐based composite by 87 and 72%, respectively, via a facile melt‐mixing method with 30 wt % ER. Such enhancements, accompanying cost reduction, came from the cellulose crystallinity and rigid chemical structure of lignin, along with the strong interaction between ER and PBS. Besides, the carbon residue of PBS/ER composites in the flame‐retardant study could maximally increase by 508%, benefited from the immense hex‐carbon rings of cellulose and lignin in ERs. The ER also reduced the peak heat release rate and total heat release of PBS by 43 and 20%, respectively. This work reduces the pressure from waste treatment, promotes the high‐value application of plantation lignocellulosic‐rich wastes in package plastics and membranes, and supports sustainable material development based on biomass multicomponents resources. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2020, 137, 48543.

Improvement of weathering and thermal resistance of wood-plastic composites with iron oxide nanoparticles

“…On the other hand, lignocellulosic materials are recognized as having a heat-release rate-reducing effect. 45 Hence, IO50-5 slowed the degradation velocity, while it was fast for HDPE. However, IO50-10 had a slightly higher degradation velocity than IO50-5.…”

A Novel Network-Structured Compatibilizer for Improving the Interfacial Behavior of PBS/Lignin

“…The degree of crystallization ( X c ) was calculated according to eq : where Δ H m and Δ H 0 are calculated by DSC and the theoretical melting enthalpy of 100% crystalline PBS (210.3 J/g), respectively. W f is the weight fraction of PBS component in the composite …”

“…Lignin, the second most abundant natural biopolymer worldwide, has recently been a basic brick for biodegradable materials due to its numerous reactive functional groups and extraordinary properties. − For example, lignin endowed polymer alloys with thermal stability, oxidative stability, and flame retardancy, and so on. − However, the incorporation of lignin would cause poor processability and mechanical properties due to inferior compatibility. − Thus, the interfacial improvement was a crucial factor determining the further application of lignin …”

Recent Advances in Development of Waste-Based Polymer Materials: A Review

“…Wang and co-workers [94] proposed using eucommia residues with 35 wt.% lignin content for manufacturing poly(butylene succinate)-based (PBS) composites. Incorporating 30 wt.% of the filler reduces the peak heat release rate (pHRR) by 46% compared to the unmodified polymer.…”