The current study deals with the effect of boron compounds, zinc borate (ZB), borax: boric acid combines (BxBc), and ulexite which are used to improve fire resistance, on the thermal,… Click to show full abstract
The current study deals with the effect of boron compounds, zinc borate (ZB), borax: boric acid combines (BxBc), and ulexite which are used to improve fire resistance, on the thermal, microstructural, and mechanical properties of the flax/PLA biocomposites. For this purpose, the mechanical properties of the biocomposites were determined by tensile, impact, and three-point bending tests. Thermogravimetric analysis and the UL-94 burn test were conducted to determine the thermal properties of composites, such as thermal stability and flammability. Thermo-mechanical properties and viscoelastic characteristics of biocomposites were determined by the dynamic mechanical thermal analysis method. Test results showed that ulexite addition could significantly reduce the burning rate by 80%. However, although mechanical properties were adversely affected by the incorporation of boron compounds resulting in a drop of up to 20%, it is believed that boron compound-filled flax/PLA composites have mechanical and thermal properties that can be considered as an alternative material, especially for the automotive industry.
               
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