Recent Advances in the Development of Fire-Resistant Biocomposites—A Review

Abstract

Biocomposites reinforced with natural fibers represent an eco-friendly and inexpensive alternative to conventional petroleum-based materials and have been increasingly utilized in a wide variety of industrial applications due to their numerous advantages, such as their good mechanical properties, low production costs, renewability, and biodegradability. However, these engineered composite materials have inherent downsides, such as their increased flammability when subjected to heat flux or flame initiators, which can limit their range of applications. As a result, certain attempts are still being made to reduce the flammability of biocomposites. The combustion of biobased composites can potentially create life-threatening conditions in buildings, resulting in substantial human and material losses. Additives known as flame-retardants (FRs) have been commonly used to improve the fire protection of wood and biocomposite materials, textiles, and other fields for the purpose of widening their application areas. At present, this practice is very common in the construction sector due to stringent fire safety regulations on residential and public buildings. The aim of this study was to present and discuss recent advances in the development of fire-resistant biocomposites. The flammability of wood and natural fibers as material resources to produce biocomposites was researched to build a holistic picture. Furthermore, the potential of lignin as an eco-friendly and low-cost FR additive to produce high-performance biocomposites with improved technological and fire properties was also discussed in detail. The development of sustainable FR systems, based on renewable raw materials, represents a viable and promising approach to manufacturing biocomposites with improved fire resistance, lower environmental footprint, and enhanced health and safety performance.

Natural-Fiber-Reinforced Chitosan, Chitosan Blends and Their Nanocomposites for Various Advanced Applications

“…Natural fiber manufacturing is expanding worldwide as the product base expands. Table 2 lists the major manufacturers as well as the yearly outputs of these fibers across the globe [ 51 ]. Chemical composition refers to the arrangement of particles and the types and ratios of atoms in chemical substances where the composition is different when there is an addition or subtraction of chemicals, and when the ratios changes.…”

Physical and Chemical Properties of Acacia mangium Lignin Isolated from Pulp Mill Byproduct for Potential Application in Wood Composites

“…Handika et al [ 11 ] reported that high free-phenolic hydroxyl in lignin increased its reactivity to produce the high-thermal stability of polyurethane resin for textile application. As a polyphenol molecule, lignin contains high free-phenolic hydroxyl groups that are favorable for modifications, such as phenolation and methylolation [ 12 ], tailored for increasing its chemical reactivity to formaldehyde in formaldehyde-based resins used in the production of wood composites such as particleboards [ 13 ], oriented strand boards [ 14 ], and flame-retardant composites [ 15 ]. Besides, lignin modification either with poly(butylene succinate) or polypropylene biocomposites increased the thermal stability of kenaf core fiber [ 16 , 17 ].…”

Flame Retardant Coatings: Additives, Binders, and Fillers

“…Therefore, to be effective, flame retardants must interfere with the polymer substrates’ degradation temperature. Normally, the most commonly used polymers as substrates degrade at temperatures ranging from 200 to 400 °C [ 45 ].…”

“…As one of the well-established and most efficient methods, flame retardant coatings have been employed widely to protect a substrate against flame. Indeed, flame retardant coatings present several advantages: do not alter the intrinsic properties of the material (i.e., the mechanical properties), can be easily processed [ 45 ], and can be used on multiple substrates, such as metallic materials [ 74 ], polymers [ 75 ], textiles [ 76 ], and wood [ 77 ].…”

“…Numerous studies have been conducted on the properties of these materials as an additive for a wide range of polymers used. On the other hand, additives in flame retardant systems are basically not chemically attached to the surrounding system; however, additional research is being conducted to graft additional chemical groups onto these materials, allowing them to become integrated without losing their retardant efficiency [ 45 , 141 ]. Hence, it renders these materials nonemitting into the atmosphere when applied.…”