Activated Carbon and Biochar Derived from Sargassum sp. Applied in Polyurethane-Based Materials Development

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Environmental Science
• Chemical Engineering

Background:

• Activated carbon (AC) and biochar (BC) are vital porous materials with extensive surface areas used in diverse environmental and industrial applications.
• Sargassum sp. presents a sustainable precursor for producing AC and BC via chemical activation and pyrolysis.

Purpose of the Study:

• To produce and characterize AC and BC from Sargassum sp.
• To evaluate the safety and efficacy of these AC/BC materials as fillers in polyurethane composites.
• To analyze the impact of AC/BC addition on the mechanical and acoustic properties of polyurethane.

Main Methods:

• AC and BC samples were synthesized from Sargassum sp. using chemical activation and pyrolysis.
• Material characterization involved techniques to determine structure and functionalities, including ICP-OES for metal content.
• Toxicity was assessed using Sinapis alba seed and Escherichia coli bacteria tests.
• Polyurethane composites were fabricated with 1%, 2%, and 3% AC/BC loading.
• Mechanical (compression strength) and acoustic (sound absorption coefficient) properties were evaluated.

Main Results:

• The synthesized AC and BC samples exhibited no negative impact on Sinapis alba seeds or Escherichia coli bacteria, indicating their safety.
• Incorporating AC/BC into polyurethane composites resulted in increased compression strength across all tested concentrations.
• The addition of AC/BC significantly enhanced the sound adsorption coefficient (α) of the polyurethane composites.

Conclusions:

• AC and BC derived from Sargassum sp. are non-toxic and suitable for various applications.
• These bio-based materials effectively improve the mechanical and acoustic performance of polyurethane composites.
• Sargassum-derived AC and BC offer a promising sustainable alternative for composite material enhancement.