MIGLIORAMENTO DELLE PRESTAZIONI MECCANICHE DI BIOCOMPOSITI RINFORZATI CON FIBRE DI AGAVE MEDIANTE BASSE CONCENTRAZIONI DI BIOCHAR

Abstract

Biocarbon is finding increasing applications in polymer composites, thanks to its reinforcing action and increased electrical and thermal properties. In this study it was added as a filler in a biocomposite reinforced with natural fibers to investigate its effect on static resistance and fatigue lifetime. Biocomposites are increasingly used in the industry for the replacement of synthetic materials, thanks to their good mechanical properties. Unfortunately, in several potential fields of application the static strength and the fatigue life of these materials are not high enough. For this reason, several chemical treatments on the fibers have been proposed, although still without fully satisfactory results. Considering the positive effects of the Biocarbon on the mechanical properties of polymers, in this work its effects on the static strength and fatigue life of biocomposites constituted by green epoxy matrix reinforced with agave fibers is analysed. The tests carried out on biocomposites, in which the biocarbon was previously dispersed, showed a three orders of magnitude improvements in the fatigue lifetime, moreover the static strength was significantly enhanced.