A parametric study of mechanical and flammability properties of biochar reinforced polypropylene composites

A parametric study of biochar/wood/polypropylene (PP) composites has been conducted in order to evaluate the significant material factors that could affect the mechanical and flammability properties of the resulting composites. The presence/absence of coupling agent and wood, particle size of biochar and melt flow index of PP are the four factors investigated employing the Taguchi's design of experiment technique. Eight composite samples were manufactured by extrusion and injection moulding to be tested for their mechanical and flammability properties. Experimental results indicate that the presence of coupling agent and wood (in conjunction with biochar) play a critical role in achieving improved tensile and flexural properties. It is interesting to note that in terms of flammability properties, there does not appear to be much difference in the values of peak heat release rate amongst the composites, thus allowing the selection of the composition that would essentially be best suited for mechanical properties.