Rice husk and bamboo biochar-reinforced polylactic acid hybrid composites: Evaluation of mechanical, thermal, and physical properties

The growing need for sustainable materials has stimulated research into eco-friendly composites, with biochar emerging as an important reinforcement in polymer matrices. Biochar is a carbon-rich material produced by pyrolyzing organic biomass, offering various benefits over traditional fillers, incl...

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Main Authors: Elumalai Vengadesan, Swaminathan Muralidharan, Dhanjit Das, Thirugnanasambandam Arunkumar
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Budapest University of Technology and Economics 2025-08-01
Series:eXPRESS Polymer Letters
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Online Access:https://www.expresspolymlett.com/article.php?a=EPL-0013311
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author Elumalai Vengadesan
Swaminathan Muralidharan
Dhanjit Das
Thirugnanasambandam Arunkumar
author_facet Elumalai Vengadesan
Swaminathan Muralidharan
Dhanjit Das
Thirugnanasambandam Arunkumar
author_sort Elumalai Vengadesan
collection DOAJ
description The growing need for sustainable materials has stimulated research into eco-friendly composites, with biochar emerging as an important reinforcement in polymer matrices. Biochar is a carbon-rich material produced by pyrolyzing organic biomass, offering various benefits over traditional fillers, including sustainability, waste reduction, and carbon sequestration. This study explores the effects of bamboo biochar as a hybrid reinforcement on the properties of polylactic acid (PLA)-rice husk composites. The present hybrid composites are prepared by varying the bamboo biochar from 5–25% and have better mechanical properties than PLA and its composite reinforced with a rice husk filler. The tensile, flexural, and compressive strengths of 51.5, 166.0, and 77.5 MPa are measured for the biochar percentage of 10%, representing increases of 73.1, 150.0, and 58.2% compared to PLA, and 158.2, 98.6, and 31% compared to the PLA composite with rice husk. Higher tensile and flexural moduli of 1.46 and 7.34 GPa are observed for 10 and 15%, respectively. However, the impact strength decreases with higher biochar content due to increased rigidity. The material’s hardness increases at higher biochar content due to enhanced stiffness. Thermal transition and degradation points rise due to increased crystallinity from the biochar reinforcement’s nucleation effect. Additionally, the hydrophobic biochar reinforcement reduces water absorption of PLA composite from 3.2 to 1.6%.
format Article
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institution Kabale University
issn 1788-618X
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publishDate 2025-08-01
publisher Budapest University of Technology and Economics
record_format Article
series eXPRESS Polymer Letters
spelling doaj-art-7337632e390446e6b7948fb7e9a5608f2025-08-20T03:31:26ZengBudapest University of Technology and EconomicseXPRESS Polymer Letters1788-618X2025-08-0119882284210.3144/expresspolymlett.2025.63Rice husk and bamboo biochar-reinforced polylactic acid hybrid composites: Evaluation of mechanical, thermal, and physical propertiesElumalai VengadesanSwaminathan MuralidharanDhanjit DasThirugnanasambandam ArunkumarThe growing need for sustainable materials has stimulated research into eco-friendly composites, with biochar emerging as an important reinforcement in polymer matrices. Biochar is a carbon-rich material produced by pyrolyzing organic biomass, offering various benefits over traditional fillers, including sustainability, waste reduction, and carbon sequestration. This study explores the effects of bamboo biochar as a hybrid reinforcement on the properties of polylactic acid (PLA)-rice husk composites. The present hybrid composites are prepared by varying the bamboo biochar from 5–25% and have better mechanical properties than PLA and its composite reinforced with a rice husk filler. The tensile, flexural, and compressive strengths of 51.5, 166.0, and 77.5 MPa are measured for the biochar percentage of 10%, representing increases of 73.1, 150.0, and 58.2% compared to PLA, and 158.2, 98.6, and 31% compared to the PLA composite with rice husk. Higher tensile and flexural moduli of 1.46 and 7.34 GPa are observed for 10 and 15%, respectively. However, the impact strength decreases with higher biochar content due to increased rigidity. The material’s hardness increases at higher biochar content due to enhanced stiffness. Thermal transition and degradation points rise due to increased crystallinity from the biochar reinforcement’s nucleation effect. Additionally, the hydrophobic biochar reinforcement reduces water absorption of PLA composite from 3.2 to 1.6%.https://www.expresspolymlett.com/article.php?a=EPL-0013311 circular economy differential scanning calorimetry mechanical properties natural fiber poly(lactic acid) renewable resource thermogravimetric analysisbiodegradation
spellingShingle Elumalai Vengadesan
Swaminathan Muralidharan
Dhanjit Das
Thirugnanasambandam Arunkumar
Rice husk and bamboo biochar-reinforced polylactic acid hybrid composites: Evaluation of mechanical, thermal, and physical properties
eXPRESS Polymer Letters
circular economy
differential scanning calorimetry
mechanical properties
natural fiber
poly(lactic acid)
renewable resource
thermogravimetric analysis
biodegradation
title Rice husk and bamboo biochar-reinforced polylactic acid hybrid composites: Evaluation of mechanical, thermal, and physical properties
title_full Rice husk and bamboo biochar-reinforced polylactic acid hybrid composites: Evaluation of mechanical, thermal, and physical properties
title_fullStr Rice husk and bamboo biochar-reinforced polylactic acid hybrid composites: Evaluation of mechanical, thermal, and physical properties
title_full_unstemmed Rice husk and bamboo biochar-reinforced polylactic acid hybrid composites: Evaluation of mechanical, thermal, and physical properties
title_short Rice husk and bamboo biochar-reinforced polylactic acid hybrid composites: Evaluation of mechanical, thermal, and physical properties
title_sort rice husk and bamboo biochar reinforced polylactic acid hybrid composites evaluation of mechanical thermal and physical properties
topic circular economy
differential scanning calorimetry
mechanical properties
natural fiber
poly(lactic acid)
renewable resource
thermogravimetric analysis
biodegradation
url https://www.expresspolymlett.com/article.php?a=EPL-0013311
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AT swaminathanmuralidharan ricehuskandbamboobiocharreinforcedpolylacticacidhybridcompositesevaluationofmechanicalthermalandphysicalproperties
AT dhanjitdas ricehuskandbamboobiocharreinforcedpolylacticacidhybridcompositesevaluationofmechanicalthermalandphysicalproperties
AT thirugnanasambandamarunkumar ricehuskandbamboobiocharreinforcedpolylacticacidhybridcompositesevaluationofmechanicalthermalandphysicalproperties