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Polymers
Special Issues
Performance and Application of Novel Biocomposites II
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Performance and Application of Novel Biocomposites II

A special issue of Polymers (ISSN 2073-4360). This special issue belongs to the section "Biomacromolecules, Biobased and Biodegradable Polymers".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (5 December 2022) | Viewed by 13919

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Oisik Das

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Structural and Fire Engineering Division, Department of Civil, Environmental and Natural Resources Engineering, Luleå University of Technology, 97187 Luleå, Sweden
Interests: flammability of polymeric composites and bio-based materials; biocomposites development; polymers; biochar; pyrolysis; nanoindentation; natural fibres
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Lin Jiang

grade E-Mail Website
Co-Guest Editor
Department of Mechanical Engineering, Nanjing University of Science and Technology, Nanjing 210094, China
Interests: flame spread over solid combustible surface; pyrolysis and its kinetics of chemical hazardous materials; thermal ablation prediction of charring materials; combustion and simulation of propellant
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Sustainability and safety along with strength are the cornerstones for the development of contemporary industrial products. Due to this, biocomposite materials are undergoing steady development which can be applied for numerous applications. However, biocomposites oftentimes suffer from poor mechanical properties and are very susceptible to fire. As a consequence, new research should be devised in order to manufacture biocomposites with superior performance properties. This could be achieved using novel biobased reinforcements and natural polymer resins having attractive material characteristics.

The Special Issue, entitled “Performance and Application of Novel Biocomposites”, would serve as a platform for addressing the developments made in the field of polymer composites where innovative methods, materials, and processing are employed to enhance mechanical, fire, and functional properties. Potential topics include but are not limited to the following: carbon-based materials (e.g., biochar and graphene), self-healing composites, flammability, nanoindentation, biopolymers (e.g., gluten), new processing and testing techniques, and fiber surface modifications.

Papers will be published upon acceptance, regardless of the Special Issue publication date.

Dr. Oisik Das
Dr. Lin Jiang
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Polymers is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • biocomposites
  • flammability
  • carbon-based materials
  • self-healing
  • processing

Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

20 pages, 28376 KiB  
Article
Evaluating Orientation Effects on the Fire Reaction Properties of Flax-Polypropylene Composites
by Swagata Dutta, Nam Kyeun Kim, Raj Das and Debes Bhattacharyya
Polymers 2021, 13(16), 2586; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/polym13162586 - 04 Aug 2021
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1566
Abstract
In this work, the fire reaction properties of flax-polypropylene (PP) composites were investigated at multiple sample angles both experimentally and numerically under two different heat flux conditions (35 and 50 kW/m2) in the cone calorimeter environment. An innovative testing setup which [...] Read more.
In this work, the fire reaction properties of flax-polypropylene (PP) composites were investigated at multiple sample angles both experimentally and numerically under two different heat flux conditions (35 and 50 kW/m2) in the cone calorimeter environment. An innovative testing setup which can accommodate a wide range of angles between 0° and 90° for the sample angle frame was developed to perform cone calorimeter tests at different sample angles. An advanced numerical predictive model based on the finite volume method was developed using the fire dynamics simulator (FDS) to quantify the dependency of ignition and combustion properties with sample angles. The numerical model was validated against experimental data from the cone calorimeter tests. The experimental and numerical analyses were conducted to quantify the effects of sample orientation on the different fire reaction properties i.e., ignition time, ignition temperature, burn time, heat release rate (HRR), critical heat flux, etc. The numerical method was utilised to analyse the mechanisms controlling the effect of heat convection and radiation blockage on the heating process. The study establishes that the sample orientation (with respect to the heat flux normal) has a significant influence on the fire reaction properties of natural fibre composites. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Performance and Application of Novel Biocomposites II)
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10 pages, 2229 KiB  
Article
Experimental Study on the Thermoplastic Dripping and Flame Spread Behaviors of Energized Electrical Wire under Reduced Atmospheric Pressure
by Hao He, Qixing Zhang, Long Shi, Haihang Li, Dongmei Huang and Yongming Zhang
Polymers 2021, 13(3), 346; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym13030346 - 22 Jan 2021
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1774
Abstract
Flame spread over wire surface is different from other solid fires as it is usually accompanied by melting and dripping processes. Although the related behaviors at reduced pressure (20–100 kPa) are significant to those fire risk evaluations, very few studies have been undertaken [...] Read more.
Flame spread over wire surface is different from other solid fires as it is usually accompanied by melting and dripping processes. Although the related behaviors at reduced pressure (20–100 kPa) are significant to those fire risk evaluations, very few studies have been undertaken on this matter. Therefore, the thermoplastic dripping and flame spread behaviors of energized polyethylene insulated copper wires were investigated experimentally at reduced pressure. It was known from experimental results that the dripping frequency increases, showing a relatively smooth (linear) and rapid (power) increasing trends under high and low electrical currents, respectively. A short-period flame disappearance was observed during the dripping process, which is unique for the energized wire at reduced pressure. The bright flame can disappear for several seconds and then show again after the dripping. While at 20 kPa or lower, the wire flame would turn to a completed extinguishment after the dripping. A critical dripping point was proposed to show the minimal required electrical current to sustain the flame spearing. The critical current changes smoothly during 100–80 kPa and decreases rapidly at 80–60 kPa. Additionally, the dripping phenomenon can stop or delay the flame spread, partly because of the short-term flame disappearance. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Performance and Application of Novel Biocomposites II)
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Graphical abstract

18 pages, 4670 KiB  
Article
Thermodynamic and Kinetic Characteristics of Combustion of Discrete Polymethyl Methacrylate Plates with Different Spacings in Concave Building Facades
by Weiguang An, Lujun Peng, Minglun Cai, Kaiyang Hu, Song Li and Tao Wang
Polymers 2021, 13(1), 167; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/polym13010167 - 05 Jan 2021
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2642
Abstract
Polymethyl methacrylate plates are widely applied to buildings, producing significant fire hazards. It lacks a theoretical basis for the fire risk assessment of polymethyl methacrylate in concave building facades. Therefore, experimental methods are used to investigate combustion characteristics of discrete polymethyl methacrylate plates [...] Read more.
Polymethyl methacrylate plates are widely applied to buildings, producing significant fire hazards. It lacks a theoretical basis for the fire risk assessment of polymethyl methacrylate in concave building facades. Therefore, experimental methods are used to investigate combustion characteristics of discrete polymethyl methacrylate plates in a concave building facade. Influences of fuel coverage and structure factor are investigated, which is scant in previous works. When structure factor is invariable, average flame height increases first and then decreases as fuel coverage increases, and the turning point is between 0.64 and 0.76. In total, three different patterns of pyrolysis front propagation are first observed for different fuel coverages. Flame spread rate first increases and then decreases as fuel coverage rises, and the turning point is also between 0.64 and 0.76. When fuel coverage is invariable, the flame spread rate first increases and then decreases with increasing structure factor, and the turning point is 1.2. A model for predicting the flame spread rate of discrete polymethyl methacrylate is also developed. The predicted values are consistent with experimental results. Fuel spread rate of discrete polymethyl methacrylate rises as the fuel coverage increases. The above results are beneficial for thermal hazard evaluation and fire safety design of polymethyl methacrylate used in buildings. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Performance and Application of Novel Biocomposites II)
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Graphical abstract

15 pages, 5067 KiB  
Article
Effects of Overlap Length on Flammability and Fire Hazard of Vertical Polymethyl Methacrylate (PMMA) Plate Array
by Weiguang An, Kaiyang Hu, Tao Wang, Lujun Peng, Song Li and Xiangming Hu
Polymers 2020, 12(12), 2826; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/polym12122826 - 27 Nov 2020
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 1861
Abstract
Polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) plates are widely used in buildings or factories for natural lighting. Commonly PMMA plates are installed as a discrete array. However, PMMA plates are very susceptible to fire. Therefore, experimental study on flammability and fire hazard of vertical PMMA plate [...] Read more.
Polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) plates are widely used in buildings or factories for natural lighting. Commonly PMMA plates are installed as a discrete array. However, PMMA plates are very susceptible to fire. Therefore, experimental study on flammability and fire hazard of vertical PMMA plate array with different overlap length (D) was conducted in this work. The average flame height (Hf) increases first and then decreases with an increase in the overlap length, and reaches the maximum when D = 40 mm. The discrete flame spread speed (Vf) also rises first and then drops with the increase of D, which is mainly due to the heat transfer from the PMMA flame to the next plate. A model for predicting the flame spread rate of discrete PMMA array is established. The predicted results are consistent with experimental ones, with a predicted error smaller than 15%. The average temperature of flame zone rises first and then drops as D increases, reaching the maximum when D = 40 mm. This leads to the same changing trend of radiative heat flux. Results obtained in this work provide a reference for fire hazard evaluation and fire safety design of PMMA plates employed in buildings or industrial sites. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Performance and Application of Novel Biocomposites II)
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17 pages, 46709 KiB  
Article
Experimental Study on Flammability and Flame Spread Characteristics of Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) Cable
by Weiguang An, Yanhua Tang, Kai Liang, Tao Wang, Yang Zhou and Zhijie Wen
Polymers 2020, 12(12), 2789; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/polym12122789 - 25 Nov 2020
Cited by 10 | Viewed by 2162
Abstract
Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) is widely applied in cables as insulation materials, which are vital for operation and control of industrial processes. However, PVC cables fires frequently occur, arousing public concern. Therefore, experimental methods are used to study flammability and flame-spread characteristics of PVC [...] Read more.
Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) is widely applied in cables as insulation materials, which are vital for operation and control of industrial processes. However, PVC cables fires frequently occur, arousing public concern. Therefore, experimental methods are used to study flammability and flame-spread characteristics of PVC cable in this paper. Influences of cable structure and number are investigated, which is scanty in previous works. As cable core number of single cable or cable number of multiple cables rises, average flame height and width increase while the increment decreases. Formulas concerning dimensionless flame height and single cable diameter (or total width of multiple cables) are obtained. The former is negatively correlated with the latter. For single cable, convective heat transfer is dominant, and flame-spread rate decreases as cable core number increases. Cable maximum temperature, which drops first and then rises as cable core number increases, is observed in the cable core area. For multiple cable, the flame-spread rate increases as cable number increases. As the cable number rises, the length of pyrolysis and combustion zone increases while the maximum temperature of cable surface decreases. This work is beneficial to fire hazard evaluation and safety design of PVC cables. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Performance and Application of Novel Biocomposites II)
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17 pages, 4579 KiB  
Article
Pyrolysis Kinetic Study and Reaction Mechanism of Epoxy Glass Fiber Reinforced Plastic by Thermogravimetric Analyzer (TG) and TG–FTIR (Fourier-Transform Infrared) Techniques
by Yuanhua Qiao, Oisik Das, Shu-Na Zhao, Tong-Sheng Sun, Qiang Xu and Lin Jiang
Polymers 2020, 12(11), 2739; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/polym12112739 - 18 Nov 2020
Cited by 27 | Viewed by 2732
Abstract
TG–FTIR combined technology was used to study the degradation process and gas phase products of epoxy glass fiber reinforced plastic (glass fiber reinforced plastic) under the atmospheres of high purity nitrogen. The pyrolysis characteristics of epoxy glass fiber reinforced plastic were measured under [...] Read more.
TG–FTIR combined technology was used to study the degradation process and gas phase products of epoxy glass fiber reinforced plastic (glass fiber reinforced plastic) under the atmospheres of high purity nitrogen. The pyrolysis characteristics of epoxy glass fiber reinforced plastic were measured under different heating rates (5, 10, 15, 20 °C min−1) from 25 to 1000 °C. The thermogravimetric analyzer (TG) and differential thermogravimetric analyzer (DTG) curves show that the initial temperature, terminal temperature, and temperature of maximum weight loss rate in the pyrolysis reaction phase all move towards high temperature, as the heating rate increases. Epoxy glass fiber reinforced plastic has two stages of thermal weightlessness. The temperature range of the first stage of weight loss is 290–460 °C. The second stage is 460–1000 °C. The above two weight loss stages are caused by pyrolysis of the epoxy resin matrix, and the glass fiber will not decompose. The dynamic parameters of glass fiber reinforced plastic were obtained through the Kissinger-Akahira-Sunose (KAS), Flynn–Wall-Ozawa (FWO) and advanced Vyazovkin methods in model-free and the Coats–Redfern (CR) method in model fitting. FTIR spectrum result shows that the main components of the product gas are CO2, H2O, carbonyl components, and aromatic components during its pyrolysis. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Performance and Application of Novel Biocomposites II)
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