Flammability of Polymer Compositions Filled with Wheat Bran

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Polymer Science
• Combustion Science

Background:

• Polymer composites are increasingly utilized in various applications.
• Investigating the flammability of natural fiber-filled polymers is crucial for safety assessments.
• Wheat bran (WB) offers a sustainable filler option for polymer matrices like polyethylene (PE) and poly(butylene succinate) (PBS).

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the flammability of polymer composites containing wheat bran (WB) filler.
• To compare the flammability performance of polyethylene (PE) and poly(butylene succinate) (PBS) based composites.
• To analyze the effect of varying wheat bran content on the combustion behavior.

Main Methods:

• Flammability tests were conducted on PE and PBS composites with 10%, 30%, and 50% WB content.
• Samples were tested using a universal flammability-test-stand following EN 60695-11-10 standards.
• Thermal imaging and FTIR spectroscopy were employed to analyze burning behavior and thermal destruction.

Main Results:

• Flammability significantly increased with higher wheat bran content in both PE and PBS composites.
• Poly(butylene succinate) (PBS) demonstrated inherently lower burning rates and flame temperatures compared to polyethylene (PE).
• PBS-WB composites showed reduced flammability relative to their PE-WB counterparts.

Conclusions:

• Wheat bran incorporation enhances the flammability of PE and PBS polymers.
• Poly(butylene succinate) (PBS) is a more fire-resistant matrix material than polyethylene (PE) for WB composites.
• The study provides valuable data for developing safer natural fiber-reinforced polymer materials.